The Prisoner of the Shadow Realm
by ApprenticeMana
Summary: 5,000 years ago the Pharaoh was betrayed by his own daughter after being controlled by Zorc, an action that led her to being banished to the Shadow Realm by the gods. After a freak accident that caused a few vengeful souls to escape the Shadow Realm, she has been granted a physical body to retrieve them and comes face to face with her father once again.(slight Atem/Mana toward end)
1. The Mysterious Girl

A small girl with brown skin and spiky black hair in a downward position sits on a rock. She twirls her black and pink wand without a care in the world as many evil spirits swarm around her. They screech and yell as many of their attempts of escaping the shadow realm through a glass ceiling ended in failure. The girl shakes her head and rolls her amethyst eyes. This is the norm for her. It became her duty to keep the evil spirits from escaping the shadow realm after what was seen as an act of betrayal to the pharaoh by the gods.

She jumped up and straightened out her white skirt. She still dawned the royal clothing that she wore when she was alive which included golden jewelry and a crown with the eye of Wdjat in the middle. A long sigh escaped her lips and she kicked some dust up in frustration before lifting her head to the never-ending darkness that surrounded her. She longed for the day that she could redeem herself and be sent to the afterlife instead to be reunited with her loved ones. But it has been a long 5,000 years. That day would never come.

"The soul of the pharaoh has returned all of these years later," whispered a ghostly spirit. Cairo turned her ear to the conversation the spirits were having amongst each other.

"Hehe…wonder how he managed to make it back into the world of the living again," another one chattered.

"Doesn't matter. Now we can have our revenge. He will pay for the death and devastation he caused to our town."

"What are you two chattering about?" asked the girl, pointing her wand at them.

"Cairo…" muttered the spirit. "You won't keep us down here forever, Princess. The spirits of Kul Elna will rise again and we will have our revenge! We will not let the pharaoh complete his destiny!"

"What are you even talking about?" Cairo asked, her eyebrow arched.

The spirit chuckled in amusement at the girl's confusion. "There's word that a young boy has resurrected the soul of the pharaoh. As you recall when the pharaoh sacrificed himself, he sealed himself and the Great Evil God with the Millennium Puzzle."

"You don't need to remind me."

"Then you would also know that he lost his memories as well. And now he's on a mission to regain them and fulfill his destiny once more."

Cairo sighed heavily and she blasts the spirit over to a corner before twirling her wand and hanging it over her shoulder. "There will be no revenge on my watch, understand? You will have to get through me."

The spirit grinned with a weak chuckle. "Did I hit a nerve?" Cairo points her wand at the spirit again and it stopsin the middle of its sentence.

"Enough. Cross me again and you will regret it." She turns away, walking a few steps before coming to a pause and bowing her head.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

_Present Day_

A young woman stands on the roof of her school wearing her school uniform that consisted of a pink blazer, white blouse, a light blue pleated skirt with a matching tie. Her skirt and brown hair sway in the wind as she places one hand on the gate that surrounded the building, gazing out into the city of Domino. Her blue eyes were filled with concern as she thought about her close friend who is nowhere to be found.

"Hey Teá," greets a blonde haired boy by the name of Joey, who wore his school uniform—a blue blazer, white button up shirt and blue pants. He is accompanied by another male with sharp brown hair.

"Hey guys," Teá greets back as they approach her.

"Have you seen Yugi?" asks Tristan.

She shakes her head. "He left before Algebra class."

"Well I can't say that I blame the guy," Joey jokes.

Pedestrians stand at a crosswalk until the light turns green, signaling for them to go. Walking amongst the crowd is a tri-colored, spiky haired student who carried his yellow book bag as he crosses the street. An item by the name of the Millennium Puzzle dangled around his neck, held by a chain. Previously it hung by a rope, but after many attempts of thugs trying to steal it, he had taken the extra precaution of having it hang by a chain instead.

The Millennium Puzzle was part of seven of the Millennium Items and it was the strongest of them all. 5,000 years ago, a nameless pharaoh was the holder of it. During a vicious battle, the pharaoh sacrificed himself in order to save Egypt. In doing so, he also wiped his memory as well as his own name. Now in the current time, a boy by the name of Yugi is the holder of the item and in it, the soul of the pharaoh lives. They formed a strong bond, fighting through constant battles together to get closer to regaining the pharaoh's memory of his past and fulfilling his destiny.

An almost identical ghostly figure appears by the spiky haired figure. His amethyst eyes were soft and innocent, whereas the one currently in control had more narrowed eyes, his blonde bang sticking up in more areas and a more mature tone.

"Hey, where are we going, Yami? We've never switched during school before," says Yugi, referring to their ability of switching whoever had control of the physical body.

"This may sound strange, but I have a feeling that the Egyptian gods were calling out to me and leading me to the museum," Yami answers.

"So you've figured out what we need to do them?" asks Yugi. They had recently won all three god cards in a duel monsters tournament. They were extremely powerful and they were previously told that they played a huge role in the pharaoh regaining his memories.

"Yes. I feel that I am one step closer to fulfilling my destiny and revealing the mysteries of my past."

He reaches the steps of the museum and prepares to go in until he hears his name being called. He turns around to see Teá, Joey and Tristan running up to him.

"There you are!" Teá says as they finally reach him.

"We've been looking all over for ya!" says Joey in between pants, trying to catch his breath.

"Why'd you split like that, man?" asks Tristan.

"There's something I need to do and it could be dangerous," Yami answers. "I just didn't want to put anyone in harms way."

Tea shakes her head. "What affects one, affects us all. You'd think after giving the friendship speech for so long that it would sink in already," she chuckles. She places her hand out and they begin to place one on top of the other. "We're in this together."

After entering the museum, they go down stairs to an Egyptian exhibit. In front of them stood a large stone tablet depicting a battle of the pharaoh and one of his priests. They fought an ancient game of duel monsters which inspired the present day duel monsters that everyone plays today by using duel disks and holograms.

Joey's eyes go big as he sees the carving of the pharaoh. "I may be stating the obvious, but that guy looks just like Yugi!"

"It says 'Tablet of the Pharaoh'," Tristan reads off a sign.

"Yes, that pharaoh is me," Yami reveals. Although Teá has already known of the pharaoh's existence within Yugi's body, Joey and Tristan were still oblivious to it all, even now.

Joey scratches his head in confusion. "This part always confuses me," he remarks, not quite understanding what is going on or why they were here.

Yami pulls the three Egyptian god cards out of his pocket and looks down at them before looking back up at the stone tablet. A voice echoes through his head.

"All of your questions will be answered, Pharaoh. We, the gods of Egypt will assist you. Give unto us your complete faith and the knowledge you seek will be yours."

Yugi appears next Yami. "Are you sure about this?" he asks, uncertain if this is the right thing to do.

Yami nods. "Yes."

He raises the three cards to the stone tablet and a bright light appears from them as it shined onto the tablet. The eye of Wdjat that is engraved on the tablet emits a bright light as well.

"You have served us well pharaoh," the voice says, ending with a menacing laugh.

As quickly as it began, the light abruptly disappears to everyone's shock and the stone tablet is suddenly encased in ice. Yami gasps and looks at the cards before grimacing in pain as dark purple electricity begins to emit from them. He holds onto his wrist and shuts his eyes.

"Yugi!" Joey exclaims with concern.

"What's happening?" asks Tristan.

"I feel as if an evil presence is draining the power of the Egyptian god cards!" Yami replies, his hand beginning to shake uncontrollably.

"You guys! Look!" Teá yells as she points to the tablet. Dark aura begins to shoot out of the tablet, surrounding them momentarily. The spirits moan as they fly around the room and head toward the exit of the museum.

"Gah! They're ghost!" Tristan yells, holding onto Joey.

_In the Shadow Realm_

Cairo chants a spell as the evil spirits fly around frantically, trying to make their escape after the recent disturbance. The atmosphere had grown very cold all of a sudden and she couldn't figure out why. But she didn't have time to think. She had to contain the spirits as much as she could. Her eyes gaze up to the crack in the ceiling and she raises her wand, continuing to chant her spell and it slowly begins to close. Unfortunately, a number of souls had still managed to escape the Shadow Realm and into the world of the living.

"Not good…" she mutters, sitting on her rock. She rubs her arms to keep warm and then blows into her hands. "Why in the world is it cold all of a sudden?"

"Cairo," a voice calls out to her and she sighs heavily. It isn't everyday that she would hear the voice of the gods speaking to her. She hadn't heard that voice since they sentenced her to the Shadow Realm, giving her the role of watching the evil souls and making sure they didn't escape.

"Whatever happened isn't my fault," she says defensively. "There was a light and then it was cold and then—"

"Your duty is to keep the evil souls here. With some of them being released into the world of the living, they may pose a huge threat."

"So, I'll go get them and bring them back," Cairo responds with a shrug.

"It is forbidden."

"I'll come right back." She jumps to her feet and waves her hand, causing a huge purple aura to appear around the souls that remained. "This will keep them in place until I retrieve the other souls and return."

"IT IS FORBIDDEN!" the gods yell and she covers her ears. "You were sentenced here for all eternity. You may not inhabit the world of the living."

"Look. Some of those souls are out to seek harm to the pharaoh and keep him from fulfilling his destiny and I'm sure you don't want that to happen, correct?"

The gods hesitate and Cairo smirks. She knew they would have no choice but to let her go. "Very well. We will grant you a physical body to retrieve the souls. Then you must return to the shadow realm when you are finished."

"Yup yup!"

"And Cairo? You must not interfere with the pharaoh's journey, understand? You are there for one reason only."

"Okay, okay. Sheesh…" Cairo says folding her arms as her body begins to glow. The gods sure did love being pushy and demanding. "So how do I get to—" She shrieks as her body is whooshed through a portal. Her dark hair flew in all directions and she shields her eyes from the wind that blew violently in her face.

After multiple loops in turns, the portal finally spits her out into a bright blue sky and she screams as she begins to plunge toward the river below. "NO! I CAN'T SWIM!"

Yami, Teá, Joey and Tristan run outside of the museum to see duel monsters terrorizing the city. Some scaled tall buildings and others flew throughout the street causing traffic to be at a standstill as everyone looked in horror.

"Someone's duel disk must have gone haywire!" Tristan suspects.

"There's no way one malfunctioning duel disk could've caused all this," Teá says.

"Maybe we should check out the news to see if Kaiba has anything to say about this?" Joey says, referring to the creator of the duel disks and Yami's rival Seto Kaiba. He was a rich guy who came up with the idea to have the game of duel monsters to be played with holograms to make it seem more realistic. But clearly something had gone wrong.

As they rush off into the direction of Yugi's house, Joey stops in his tracks at the sound of a little girl screaming. He looks around until his eyes land on what seemed to be a falling object. He squints his eyes before gasping in realization.

"What is it man?" Tristan asks, turning around after realizing Joey is no longer following them. Without answering he darts off toward the river and Tristan runs off after him.

"You guys wait!" Teá yells after them as she and Yami stay behind. "Wonder what's gotten into them?"

"Let's go to Kaiba Corp to get to the bottom of this duel monsters disaster," Yami suggests and Teá nods in agreement.

"Joey! What's wrong?" Tristan asks as he tries to keep up.

"There's a little girl falling from the sky!" he yells back in between breaths.

Tristan raises an eyebrow. "Huh? What do you—?" His eyes slowly scroll up when he hears a scream and her jaw drops. They reach the shore of the river and they watch as the girl crashes into water with a huge splash. "Holy cow!"

Without thinking, Joey dives into the water and swims toward her location. He takes a deep inhale and submerges himself underwater.

"Be careful man!"

The impact from crashing into the river had knocked her out cold and she slowly begins to plunge deeper and deeper. Curse the gods for making her land in such a bad location. Was it payback for all of the sins she committed while she was alive? Curse them.

"Alright, I'm going in! He's been down there too long!" Tristan says, but before he could jump in, Joey finally resurfaces, carrying the girl on his back as he swam back to land. Tristan helps him lift the girl off his back and sets her down. She coughs up some water a few times and it spills out of her mouth and onto the ground.

Joey takes notice as to what she is wearing. It isn't normal clothes that kids wear today. Instead, she appeared to be wearing Egyptian clothes and jewelry. He looks further up to her face and he squints at the golden object she is wearing around her head.

"Wait a minute…" He notices a symbol that looks very familiar to him. Where had he seen it again? After thinking for a bit, his eyes go wide in realization. "Hey! It's the same symbol on Yugi's Millennium Puzzle!"

Tristan follows Joey's gaze. "You're right…" He looks up to the bright blue sky and then back down at her. "How in the world did she fall from way up there? And what's with the Egyptian get up?"

Her eyes suddenly shoot open causing them to jump a bit. She quickly sits up and observes her surroundings. She definitely wasn't in the Shadow Realm anymore. And she obviously wasn't in Egypt. This world was more more different than what she remembered. Tall glass buildings, fast moving objects and people dressed in odd clothing. This had to be the present.

But something seemed off. Why were there monsters rampaging the area, she thought to herself.

"Easy kid," Joey cautions as she stands to her feet. "You had quite the fall."

"Yeah, my pal saved you."

Cairo studies the two meant for a minute before giving a slight smile, figuring they were no threat to her.

"Where are your parents?" Tristan asks and she tilts her head to the side, blinking a few times.

"Maybe she doesn't speak English?" Joey guess from Cairo's confused expression. "Something tells me you're not from around here."

"Your name. What is your name?" Tristan asks slowly, making sure to pronounce each and every syllable very slowly so that she could understand.

Cairo looks around, scanning the area to see if she could feel the energy of the evil souls that had escaped. But there was too much interference going on from another evil that was present, presumably the one causing the chaos at the moment. She groans inwardly with frustration. This is going to take her longer than she thought and standing around definitely isn't helping her one bit. She walks forward looking down in deep thought.

"Hey! Where ya going?" Joey asks.

'I'm not sure what's going on here,' she thought to herself as she sees the monsters terrorizing the city. 'Things are much more chaotic nowadays. I really need to focus hard if I'm going to find those loose spirits.' She steps off the sidewalk, still distracted by her thoughts as Joey and Tristan look on in horror when they see a car speeding her way.

"Watch out!" Joey yells, outstretching a hand out to her. He is sure that she is done for, but what he sees next makes his jaw drop.

At the sound of Joey's voice, Cairo finally snaps out of her thoughts and looks to the right of her to see a fast moving boxed object zooming toward her. She looks cluelessly as a man within the box starts to panic after finally realizing that he is about to hit a little girl. The sound of the car finally making impact and glass shattering fills the air. The airbags within the car release as the front of his car is bent like a piece of paper after hitting what felt like hitting a brick wall. To everyone's surprise, Cairo still stood tall, completely unharmed and unfazed at the fact that she had just gotten hit by a car.

"D-Did you just you see what I just saw?" Joey asks with disbelief and Tristan slowly nods.

"Yeah…are we dreaming?"

Joey pinches Tristan arm and he yelps, rubbing his arm soothingly. "Nope. Definitely not dreaming." Joey's phone begins to vibrate in his pocket and he takes it out to see a text message from Teá. Tristan looks over his shoulder to read the message from her telling them to meet at Yugi's house.

"Maybe they have more info to what's happening," Tristan assumes.

"Yeah." Joey lifts his head from his phone to see the girl is no longer there. He looks from left to right, but she is nowhere to be found. "She's gone!"

"Who was that kid?"

"I don't know Tristan, but that was no ordinary girl, that's for sure."

Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! As you can see the events of this story is beginning of Waking the Dragons. Won't be covering the entire thing as I'd like to get to Dawn of the Duel in this story as well so you can see what huge significance Cairo plays. For now, leave a review!


	2. The Seal of Orichalcos

After meeting at Yugi's house which is located in his grandfather's gaming shop, they huddle around a television. Yami and Teá had attempted to get answers earlier by going straight to Kaiba Corp., but there was a media frenzy going on and they were told to tune in to the news.

_A news reporter reports, "In the last 24 hours, monsters have been spotted across the globe. These creatures are believed to be lifelike holograms associated with the popular game, Duel Monsters. We now take you live to Kaiba Corp press conference where gaming company president Seto Kaiba will make a statement."_

_An image of Seto Kaiba appears on the screen as he stands at a podium in front of numerous cameras and reporters."We've done extensive testing on our holographic simulation systems. Now I can confirm without question that these sightings are unrelated to Kaiba Corp. Our state of the art technology is working perfectly."_

"He's covering up," Tristan says. "Who else has the equipment to project monsters around the world?"

"Unless of course those monsters out there aren't holographic projections at all!" Tea predicts.

"I was actually beginning to think the same thing Teá," Yami agrees. "Perhaps the force I felt in the museum somehow triggered the emergence of these creatures. Which could mean these duel monsters are real."

"Wait, are you trying to tell me we're under attack by actual monsters?" Joey asks.

"I'm not sure what to think right now," Yami replies.

A cry from the front of the game shop belonging to Yugi's grandfather takes them away from their conversation as they rush to see what is going on. Yami quickly switches over so that Yugi can have control. When they all get to the entrance, his grandfather is laying face down on the floor, a few papers were scattered around him after an apparent attack.

"Grandpa!" Yugi yells with concern as he goes to his grandfather's side.

"What happened Mr. Mutou?" Joey asks.

"Your cards…they took your strongest cards," his grandfather reveals to everyone's shock.

"The Egyptian gods?" Yugi asks.

"Who did this?" Joey asks clenching his fists, but he received no answer as Yugi's grandfather is feeling very distraught and shaken by the robbery. He growls and runs to the door. "I'll find them!"

"Joey wait!" Yugi calls after him.

Joey rushes outside and stops in his tracks when he sees none other than Obelisk the Tormentor standing at a distance in the middle of the city. "You guys might want to see this!" As the others run outside to see what is going on, the other two god cards by the name of Slyfer the Sky Dragon and the Winged Dragon of Ra appear alongside the blue monster.

"It's Slyfer and Ra!" Yugi exclaims in shock.

"What kinda knucklehead would steal all three Egyptian god cards and then summon them in the middle of the city for everyone to see?!"

A couple of loud motors quickly approach them and the light from the numerous motorcycles momentarily blinds them. A biker gang wearing duel disks sat in front of them.

"If you want those god cards back, then follow us!" one of them commands.

"And just a fair warning, we've been known to play dirty," another one says with a snicker before they drive off.

"Give me the god cards back!" Yugi yells before coughing from the smoke they left behind. "I guess we have no choice."

Cairo walks down the sidewalk that same night which were quiet compared to earlier that day. Things had finally calmed down after such a chaotic start to her mission. At least that's what she thought until she looks up and sees Obelisk standing in the middle of the city in all its glory.

"Obelisk? But how?" She hadn't seen that god in 5,000 years. The last time she saw it was when the pharaoh of her time was using it in a battle. That's when it hit her. Could the pharaoh be in that direction? It had been so long and the last time she saw him wasn't during the best of times. She takes a few steps forward and then stops. She knows that she isn't to interfere with anything, but she couldn't help but wonder if she would find him there.

"I'll just take a quick peek," she tells herself before levitating in the air and flying off into the direction of Obelisk.

As she makes her way, she feels the presence of evil and stops abruptly, floating upright in the air. She looks down at the sidewalk to see a man wearing a white tank top and baggy jeans and a skull cap. He twiddled a toothpick in his mouth and one of his hands grasped a pocket knife.

"Hm…" Although he looked suspicious, she isn't sure why she's drawn to this individual in particular. Telling by the knife in his hand, he seemed like the common thief. Her attention is brought back to Obelisk as its roars sound through the air. She watches as weird seal appears on its forehead and its eyes were filled with fury.

"That's strange…" She continues to fly forward to get a closer look. It was on an abandoned building and there appeared to be a group of people standing on the roof. She observes the bystanders, recognizing two of them as the guys that saved her earlier. Another is a tall girl with brown shoulder length hair. On the other side at a taller height of the building stood three men with various hairstyles. And finally in the middle there were two people standing within a blue seal. It is the same seal that graced the forehead of Obelisk.

"Is this a modern day version of dueling?" she asks herself as her eyes scroll to the man on the left. He is older compared to the bystanders. Her eyes then go to the right and her heart immediately drops into the pit of her stomach. "It can't be…"

She felt her body trembling and her heart pounding. There he was, the pharaoh, standing in the flesh, having a duel. There is no doubt about it.

It is him.

From the hair, the amethyst eyes that matched her own and the Millennium Puzzle hanging around his neck. His skin tone is different than the melanin skin she was accustomed to seeing, but it was him without a doubt. She slowly descends into a hidden part of the building where she can't be seen, but she could still see the duel. Her chest hurt and she places a hand on it, taking a few deep breaths to get herself together.

"Dad…"

She wanted so badly to run up to him and embrace him. She would apologize for what happened 5,000 years ago and beg for his forgiveness. But she knew it would be hopeless as he had no memory of his past, which is why he is on his current journey to restore those memories. As she stands to watch the duel, she had a nagging thought that she shouldn't be there. Her duty is to capture the evil spirits that currently wondered the earth and return to the shadows. But she couldn't help but linger to see the outcome.

Yami shields his face as his opponent sends another attack his way using Obelisk the Tormentor.

"Ah man! Now Yugi has no monsters on the field to protect his life points!" Joey says as Obelisk obliterates Yami's monster from the field.

"Pharaoh, the age of destruction is here. The earth shall be shrouded in darkness and your very soul shall fuel the force that devastates mankind," the man says with a smirk.

"What do you mean by that?" Yami asks, narrowing his eyes.

He chuckles. "A great beast is now awakening from its ancient slumber to complete what it began centuries ago. But before this beast can arise, it must absorb enough souls."

"Who are you and how do you know these events will come to pass?"

"Someone's got an awful lot of questions," one of the brown haired bikers says, looking at them from up high.

"Who do you think you are?!" Joey yells at them.

"Haven't you been paying attention? We're soul collectors," says the blonde haired biker. "As a matter a fact, I have two unfortunate souls in my possession right now." He pulls out two cards with the faces of two souls he had taken earlier.

Yami gasps in realization. 'They can trap souls in cards…Just like Pegasus did with his Millennium Eye,' he remembered from when he dueled at Duelist Kingdom in the past.

"You're through!" his opponent says with a confident grin. "There's no way you can take down Obelisk."

"Think again," Yami says. "I use monster reborn to bring back my Valkyrian the Magna Warrior! And now I will have them disassemble to attack Obelisk!"

"What?! But Obelisk has more attack points!"

"Yes but once I play my magic card Brave Attack, it will send my warriors into battle. The damage from each one of my monsters attacks get added together enabling them to bring Obelisk down as a team!"

"NO!" After each one of Yami's monsters attack, Obelisk is finally defeated. "This duel is far from done…" he vows.

Cairo folds her arms, narrowing her eyes at the three biker guys at the top of the building. "They call themselves soul collectors and they trap them within cards so that they can fuel this beast they keep talking about." She looks back at the seal that is currently on the field. "Which means they wouldn't end up in the realm that I'm from."

"Dark Magician Girl! Attack everyone of his monsters!" Yami commands and the blonde hair magician girl uses her wand to blast them all away, finally depleting the enemy of his life points.

"He did it!" Teá cheers, raising her fists.

"Now hand me those cards!"

"Never! The Egyptian god cards are ours!"

"We had a deal!"

The man takes the god card out of his deck and throws it to his gang up high as the seal starts to surround him. "No This wasn't supposed to happen! Please spare me master!" he begs and he cries out in agony as everyone looks in horror. The light from the seal became much stronger, shooting up into the air, taking the man's soul along with it and his body drops to the ground.

"Oh well. It's his own fault," the blonde hair biker comments.

"That old man was wrecking our style anyway," the brown haired biker chimes in. "Plus we know more about Yugi's dueling strategy."

"Let's go."

"Hold on! Give me back the god cards!" Yami demands taking a few steps forward.

"You didn't hold up your end of the bargain pharaoh. You have to defeat all of us, not just one of us," says the blonde haired one.

Yami growls in frustration as they walk away before turning his sights on the lifeless man that lay in front of him. He bends down and picks up a card that has his opponent's face on it. "It's true. Once he lost the duel, he lost his soul." Joey and the others join him on the platform that he is standing on. Teá's eyes set on a glowing object not far away from the man's body and she goes over to pick this up. "But where does this power come from?"

"Look Yugi," she says, holding it up. "I wonder if this has something to do with all of this." She hands over the necklace and he observes it as it glows brighter.

"I've finally found you pharaoh," comes a voice from the roof door's entrance and they all turn around to see a man with a skull cap holding a knife.

"Now what?" Tristan asks, exhausted from the long day they've had already.

"I've come to finally have my revenge!"

"Who are you?" Yami asks.

"The cause of your demise!" he yells, charging at him with the knife in his hand. "Prepare to die!"

"Yugi! Look out!" Teá yells with worry as Yami braces himself. Just as the man is about to attack, an explosion lands in between them, blowing everyone back onto the ground.

Joey grunts as he sits up, coughing a few times from the smoke. "What the heck was that?!" As the smoke clears, he gasps when he sees a little girl standing protectively in front of them. "It's you!"

Cairo twirls her dark wand and places it on her shoulder as she looks down at the man with the knife. Teá, Yami and Tristan finally come to after the blast. Yami helps Teá to her feet. "Are you alright?" he asks.

She nods before looking at the girl in front of them wearing the Egyptian clothes and the golden crown with the eye of Wdjat in the middle. "Yugi look!"

"I see it, Teá." He looks down at his puzzle and places a hand on it. "It's the same exact symbol."

"But who is she?"

"So…you've possessed the body of a human from the present world in order to seek your revenge," Cairo observes as the man stands up, gritting his teeth.

"Out of the way! He's mine!" He runs at Cairo with the knife, preparing to strike as she stands there calmly.

"Look out little girl!" Tristan warns as they watch helplessly.

"I guess I haven't made myself clear," Cairo says, her eyes beginning to glow purple as she outstretches her hand out to the man, causing him to freeze in his tracks from a spell of hers. She walks up to him and forcefully presses her palm into his chest, causing the soul to extract from the body. The red soul floats around frantically, looking for another body to possess.

"Is that…a soul?" Teá asks in shock, taking a step back.

"I knew it…That's definitely no ordinary kid…" Joey says.

"You know her?" Yami asks, turning his head to him.

"I saved her from drowning earlier today. After we pulled her out the water, she walked straight into the street and got hit by a car. But she walked away unharmed. The car is the one that took all of the damage."

"Say what?" Teá says with disbelief. "How is that even possible?"

With her wand, she opens up a dark portal, causing the wind around them to blow violently. "Time to go back to the Shadow Realm," she says with a grin and the spirit screams as it is dragged down, back to where it belonged. The portal slowly disappears and the wind becomes calm again.

Yugi appears next to Yami in his ghostly form. "Did she say shadow realm?" he asks and Yami nods. "But how? She doesn't have a Millennium Item."

"I don't know Yugi, but I'm going to get to the bottom of it," Yami responds in his head.

Cairo whips around to face the group, her eyes still glowing from her previous move and they all huddle close together, not knowing what to expect. She places a hand behind her head and chuckles, her eyes returning back to normal. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you if I did," she apologizes and they all breathe a sigh of relief.

"So you do speak English!" Tristan points out. "Why didn't you speak up earlier?"

She twiddles her fingers and looks down at her feet, a blush appearing on her cheeks. "I'm a little shy." Joey and Tristan both anime drop to the ground and Teá sweat drops.

Yami walks up to her and she jumps slightly, her heart beginning to pound again as he looks down at her. It is weird staring into those eyes of his after so long. Not to mention he is looking at her like she is a stranger. The immature part of her found it a bit amusing, but the other side of her couldn't help but feel a hint of sadness as well. He truly didn't remember her.

"Who are you?" he asks. "And how were you able to send his soul to the shadow realm?"

"My name is Cairo. And I'm the keeper of souls of the Shadow Realm," she reveals.

"What?!" they all collectively say in response.

"So you're able to send people to the shadow realm just like that?" Teá asks, blinking a few times, trying to process what the girl just said.

"That and much more," Cairo replies.

"I'm so confused," Joey says, holding his head. "Why is a little girl like you the keeper of the shadow realm and why are you wearing that Egyptian get up?"

"I've had enough soul talk for one day," Tristan complains, holding his head as well.

"How old are you anyway, Cairo?" Teá asks.

"I'm nearly 5,000 years old," she replies with a smile. "Give or take. I really don't know anymore."

"FIVE THOUSAND?!" they says simultaneously, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

"Alright, now I'm really confused," Joey groans, dropping down to sit on the floor in exhaustion.

"Wait, so does that mean you know the pharaoh?" Teá questions.

"I know a lot of things," Cairo responds vaguely and she turns to walk toward the edge of the building. "But I really must go. I have more souls to catch."

"What do you mean?" Yami asks. "What has brought you here from the shadow realm?"

"I'm not quite sure what has caused this disturbance, but a couple of evil souls have escaped and it is my duty to return them. Now, I really should be going."

"Wait!" Tea outstretches her hand, taking a few steps closer to Cairo. "What if you can help the pharaoh regain his memories?"

"Teá…" The thought had never occurred to Yami that this girl could have information on his past.

Cairo turns around, the back of her feet hanging off the edge of the building, her gaze more serious than before. "I'm sorry…I'd like to help you...but anything outside what I was originally sent here for…is none of my concern." She takes a step back, dropping off the building to everyone's shock and they all rush toward the edge to see where she landed. But she has completely vanished out of sight.

"So much for that," Tristan sighs, placing hand in his pocket.

Tea clenches her fist at her chest, a look of determination in her eyes. 'I'm not gonna give up. If she is retrieving souls then maybe she'll be around for a bit. She could talk to the pharaoh and help him out!'

Another chapter done! Let me know what you think so far!


	3. A Cry For Help

Yugi and the gang once again find themselves at the museum where it all started. After searching around for more answers, they stumble across an old friend, a young girl named Rebecca Hawkins, the granddaughter of Professor Hawkins. Professor Hawkins is an old friend of Yugi's grandfather and he does various research on ancient carvings and treasures. They all stand in front of the stone tablet of the pharaoh as they discuss what is currently going on in the world.

"I've spent the latter of my career studying duel monsters. It started as more than a game. Egyptian sorcerers figured out a way to seal real monsters away in stone tablets. They would periodically release these monsters to display their great power. As more monsters were collected, the sorcerer's power grew stronger until eventually the shadow magic spun out of control and threatened to destroy all life on earth. But one man was able to face this madness and turn the darkness to light. The great pharaoh whose power you carry around you neck."

"How does that explain what's happening now? Did these ancient monsters come back or something?" Yugi asks.

"I'm afraid so. But there's another piece of this story that you need to know," Professor Hawkins says. "Ever heard of the lost city of Atlantis?"

"I've read about it in a book before!" Teá chimes in.

Tristan and Joey dim their eyes at her. "What? You nerd," they say simultaneously.

"In my latest expedition, I may have discovered that very city. An underwater world that existed long before ancient Egypt. But what really puzzled me were the carvings I saw on the walls!" The professor takes out pictures that he took and shows them to the group.

Yugi gasps in realization as he sees a carving of a dragon. "No way! Duel monsters?"

"Precisely! So these monsters didn't originate 5,000 years in Egypt. They lived over 10,000 years ago in what I believe in the legendary city of Atlantis!"

"Atlantis was real?" Tea asks with disbelief.

"I believe there's a parallel universe of monsters that exists along side our world. And throughout history, certain humans have been able to release these monsters. Some have been able to help mankind and others seek to destroy it."

Tristan groans loudly in frustration after hearing everything the professor is explaining. He found it hard to believe everything he is saying to be true. "Gimme a break you nutty professor!" But he soon regrets that outburst when Rebecca kicks him in the shin and he yelps in pain, holding onto it.

"That's my grandfather you're talking about! Anyone who messes with him, messes with me!"

"W-Won't happen again!"

Joey clears his throat and speaks up in a serious tone. "I believe you professor. After all the weird things that have happened to us over the years, including our friends being sent to the shadow realm, I don't think it's too far fetched at all. Let's face it, there's plenty of things that can't be explained."

Yugi nods in agreement. "Like how there's a pharaoh living in my puzzle."

Professor Hawkins nods before continuing on. "The point that I am trying to make here is this. When Egyptian sorcerers conjured these monsters 5,000 years ago, the pharaoh was there to save mankind from destruction. Now it seems the pharaoh has been reborn in you, which could mean that mankind needs his help once again."

Yugi sighs. "But I wouldn't even know where to begin, professor. I mean, do we try and get all these monsters to return to their own world? Or should we focus on what that weird motorcycle gang is up to?"

"Not to mention that girl who claims to be from the Shadow Realm," Joey adds.

"Unfortunately, this is where my knowledge of the situation ends," the professor responds.

A thought pops into Yugi's head and he reaches into his pocket to get the necklace from the duel yesterday. "Wait a sec. I may have a clue. Ever seen one of these before?" The necklace begins to shine as Rebecca and the professor look at it.

"It's awesome," Rebecca comments, gazing at it with fascination.

"What have you got there Yugi?" Professor Hawkins asks.

"Not sure. The guys we dueled against last night left it behind."

"Would you mind if I held onto this stone Yugi? I'd like to take it back to my lab. I have a feeling it may hold the answers to many of our questions."

"Not a problem."

After their conversation, they stand outside the museum. Mr Mutou offers to take Professor Hawkins and Rebecca back to the airport and they watch as the car departs.

'Just when I thought things were going back to normal, it got ten times weirder,' Yugi says in his head.

'Yes and this time the situation seems more treacherous than ever,' Yami replies.

_"__Please help me!"_

Yugi's eyes widen and he looks from left to right after hearing a mysterious woman's voice.

"What's up Yugi?" Joey asks.

"Did you guys hear someone calling for help?" Yugi asks, continuing to look around.

"Nope. It's a ghost town around here," Tristan replies, placing his hands in his pockets.

Teá shutters. "Don't say ghost."

"Come on," Joey says. "It's been a long day."

In a dark cave surrounded by sculptures of dragons and lit candles, a blue haired man wearing a robe and baggy white pants looks down on his henchmen with his blue and yellow eyes.

"We located the pharaoh, master. Unfortunately, we weren't able to capture his soul," the blonde haired biker known as Rafael reports.

"I didn't expect you to capture him this soon. We've just begun."

"But you know me, master. I didn't come empty handed." Rafael hands over a box and his masters open it, revealing the cards he stole from Yugi.

"Excellent. The Egyptian gods. At long last, I've waited an eternity to hold their power in my hands. I finally have the supreme force necessary to awaken the great beast. And soon we shall rid the earth of mankind and rebuild civilization as it once was!" He places the three cards within three serpents' heads and raises his hands to chant a spell. "Serpents of the Orichalcos, please here my call. I offer to you the gods of Egypt. Use their divine might to unlock the sacred chamber of the great beast! Awaken him from his slumber by accepting my great offering!"

The three cards begin to glow within the serpents' mouths, and the light bursts within the dark clouds in the sky, causing a rainbow pattern to appear. Dartz laughs, seeing his plan slowly start to come together. "Finally after 10,000 years, the great Leviathan shall rise again!"

That night, Yugi tosses and turns in his sleep, constantly hearing a woman crying out for help. His Millennium Puzzle begins to glow and he suddenly finds himself alongside Yami, falling into a white light.

"What's going on?!" Yugi yells as they fall even deeper until they find themselves within a castle. It is large in size and there appeared to be three ice sculptures in the shape of dragons.

"You're here!" the woman says and she appears in front of them within a pink light. "I knew you'd find me!"

"It's Dark Magician Girl!" Yugi says in realization, recognizing her from the Duel Monsters game.

"Tell us, why were you crying for help?" Yami asks.

"Pharaoh, both of our worlds are in grave danger! And without your help we will all cease to exist!"

"But how?"

"Wait! So Professor Hawkins was right!" Yugi recalls from their conversation.

"A gateway between us has opened and now the great beast will swallow us all," Dark Magician Girl reveals. "It lives in the sky, feasting upon the life force of monsters and humans as it did in the past. If this continues, we'll be gone forever. You are our only hope."

Yami and Yugi both lower their eyes at the news and hearing the desperation in her voice. "How can we help?" Yami asks.

The Dark Magician Girl levitates up to one of the sculptures and motions at the sword that is within it with her hand. "These dragons defeated the great beast 10,000 years ago when it first appeared. But they paid a price and now they're frozen in time. The legend states that three warriors will awaken these dragons when they're needed again. And I believe one of those warriors is you. Release it by pulling out the sword and call out his name, Timaeus."

Yami and Yugi both exchange glances before levitating up in the air, placing both of their hands on the sword. "Ready Yugi?" Yugi nods.

Cairo stumbles a bit, using one hand to hold onto a nearby wall and the other one clenching her stomach. She slouches over and takes baby steps to progress down the sidewalk. Her legs feel like jello and her vision is blurry from feeling light headed. She looks ahead to see a building that reads, "KAME GAME" and then her eyes lift to the sky to see an odd rainbow pattern. A familiar spiky head figure suddenly runs out of the game shop wearing a duel disk.

"It's happening!" he yells, rushing toward the source.

"Yugi? What's happening?" His grandpa asks who had followed him out the door. He looks up to the sky in confusion. "Strange. I haven't seen patterns like that since my trip to Iceland years ago."

He hears an exhausted sigh come from behind him and he turns around just in time to see a girl drop face down to the ground. He quickly rushes over and kneels down to her. "Little girl, are you alright?" She struggles to get on her hands and knees and she lifts her head up, letting out slight chuckle with a dazed expression before dropping back down to the ground. "She looks exhausted." He slowly lifts her up and takes her into his shop.

Meanwhile, Yugi rushes to the middle of the city in a courtyard where other people have gathered to witness what is going on, including his friends.

"Yugi! Whatever is happening is getting worse! Or at least getting weirder." Teá comments as they all look up into the sky. There were duel monsters being sucked into the center of what seemed to be a giant ice sculpture.

"Any idea what that is up there?" Joey asks.

"I think I do and it's not good," Yugi answers, remembering his conversation with the Dark Magician Girl. The shards from the sculpture begin to fall, revealing a giant yellow eye to everyone's shock.

"WHAT IS THAT?!" Joey asks.

"I don't wanna find out." Teá shutters.

_"__Now great Leviathan. Time to show the pharaoh what true power is all about!" Dartz says from within his sanctuary._

On cue, the giant eye sends a gust of wind toward the pedestrians below. Teá, Joey and Tristan make a run for it, but when they come to a stop, they realize Yugi isn't with him. Instead, he still stands in the middle of the courtyard, bracing himself for whatever is to come, until the gust of wind slams down on him, trapping him within the middle.

"Yugi no!" Joey cries out in horror.

Yugi shields his face and grunts as the wind begins to pick up. But suddenly, a card in his duel disk begins to shine brightly enough for him to notice. Taking it as a sign, he draws the card out and and looks at it, gasping when it is none other than the dragon from his dream. Knowing that he doesn't have much time, he outstretches the card in the direction of the giant eye.

"Now I summon Timaeus!" he commands. In a burst of light and a letting out a mighty roar, a large green dragon appears in the sky on Yugi's command to everyone's amazement.

"Look at the size of that thing!" Joey says in astonishment as the wind continues to blow.

"Timaeus! Protect us from that monster!" His dragon faces the giant eye as it sends another gust of wind. But Timaeus has a power of its own, gathering all of its strength to shoot a fiery attack from its mouth to intercept the monster's. It overcomes it with ease as the big-eyed monster goes up in flames.

_"__No…this is impossible…" Dartz says with narrowed eyes, witnessing his monster being defeated by the legendary dragon._

Timaeus returns back to Yugi's deck and he sighs. "We did it."

A familiar pink light shines in front of him and the Dark Magician Girl appears with a smile. "We've only just begun." Yami appears next to Yugi as she continues. "The great beast is still weak, so he retreated for the moment. And for that my companions and I are truly grateful for that, my pharaoh." She lowers her eyes. "But many of us remain prisoners on the other side."

"What's next?" Yugi asks.

"The great beast will return again and his power will grow. He must be stopped before he is fully restored! Time is running out!" And with that she disappears, her pink energy floating up into the sky as Yami and Yugi look on.

Mr. Mutou sits across from Cairo with his chin resting on his hands as he watches her stuff down some food. He couldn't help but smile to himself as she eats as if her life depends on it. She pats her chest a few times and quickly gulps down some water, taking a deep breath when she is finally finished.

_As he carries her into the house, she slowly opens her eyes and blinks. He looked so familiar to her. From his gray, spiky hair to the shape of his purple eyes. Even his voice sounded identical. "Shimon?" she says weakly and he looks down at her questionably._

_"__I'm not sure who Shimon is, but my name is Solomon Mutou," he introduces himself. She closes her eyes again and he frowns. She appeared to be very frail as if she hadn't eaten in awhile. He takes notice of her Egyptian clothing and golden headpiece with a symbol he is very much familiar with and raises an eyebrow._

Cairo belches loudly before quickly covering her mouth, turning red with embarrassment. She has long forgotten what it is like to feel hungry or taste scrumptious food. In the Shadow Realm, eating isn't necessary. Mr Mutou chuckles as she bows her head. "Thank you for the food."

"What is your name little one? Are you from around here?"

"It's Cairo. I guess you can say...I'm from Egypt." Maybe it would be best not to tell the old man where she really is from, although her answer isn't a complete lie.

Mr. Mutou nods with a smile. He had already expected that she was from Egypt, but wanted confirmation from Cairo herself. "Yes, I could tell by the attire. I know much about Egypt and its history."

"Really?"

"When I was younger, I traveled to the Valley of the Kings in hopes of finding the Pharaoh's tomb." Cairo edges forward in her seat, wanting to hear more. "The tomb was riddled with many traps and I almost lost my life until…"

"Until?"

"This might sound crazy to you, but the spirit of the pharaoh, who that tomb belonged to, saved me. And shortly after he saved me is where I discovered an item called the Millennium Puzzle." Cairo's eyes go wide. What were the odds of meeting the very person that not only navigated through the pharaoh's tomb, but was able to find the Millennium Puzzle as well?

"Wow…back in my day, going through the pharaoh's tomb was forbidden. But it seems nowadays that's a thing…"

He chuckles. "You talk as if you were born years ago."

Cairo rubs the back of her head with a smile and a nervous giggle. A bell rings as the front door opens.

"I'm home grandpa!" Yugi calls out and he walks toward the light in the kitchen. "You'll never guess what—" He stops in his tracks when he sees Cairo sitting at the table.

"Welcome back Yugi," his grandfather greets.

"Cairo! What are you doing here?" he asks.

"I found her passed out in the street," his grandfather explains. "She looked like she was in pretty bad shape, so I brought her here. Turns out she was just hungry."

Cairo tilts her head as Yugi and his grandpa speak to each other. That definitely isn't the pharaoh standing in front of her. But she was sure it was him when she saw him yesterday. It had to be. Her eyes scroll down to the Millennium Puzzle on his neck. Who is this imposter and how did he gets his hands on the puzzle?

As his grandfather goes up the stairs for the night, she hops up from her seat, approaching Yugi. "You can stay with us if you'd like," he offers. "Since I assume you don't have a place to stay, my grandfather says it's alright."

"Who are you?" she asks, whipping out her wand and pointing it at him.

He jumps and raises his hands in the air. "Whoa! What's going on?"

"Who are you and why do you have the Millennium Puzzle?"

"I-It's mine," he stutters. Sweat begins to form on his forehead as her wand begins to glow, as well as her eyes. "Take it easy, Cairo."

"How do you even know my name?"

"Uh…"

"You stole it. The Millennium Puzzle belongs to the pharaoh. He had it on the last time I saw him. So why do you have it?"

"Oh…" Yugi realizes that technically she and him haven't met. When they first crossed paths, the pharaoh was in control of his body. "Most people don't know the difference when we switch."

Cairo tilts her head to the side, her upper lip turning upwards. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Hold on a sec." The Millennium Puzzle begins to shine brightly and she shields her eyes with her free arm. As the light begins to disappear, she uncovers her eyes and gasps. In just that instant, there he is, standing right in front of her. Her hand begins to tremble and she takes a few steps back.

"But…but how?"

"Yugi and I are able to switch who takes control by using the Millennium Puzzle," Yami explains looking down at her. "He is no thief."

Her wand disappears from her hand and her eyes return back to normal. "I knew they said you had returned all these years, but definitely not in this manner."

"Who is 'they'?"

"The souls that I'm currently after. They seek revenge on you for something that has happened 5,000 years ago. As a soul keeper, it is my duty to return them back to the Shadow Realm."

"But why were you given that role, Cairo?"

Cairo shakes her head. "It's a touchy subject. I'd rather not talk about it."

"It seems rather strange that someone your age would be given such a tough task."

She smiles innocently. "You underestimate me."

Yami raises an eyebrow in suspicion. There were so many mysteries when it came to this girl. He isn't sure if they could trust her or not. Sure, she saved their life last night, but with so much going on, there is no such thing as being too careful.

Hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Please leave me a review!

Also, there's some random user on here accusing me of stealing her ideas. Not sure what that's all about, but all of my ideas are mine. My imagination is pretty huge, so no need to steal lol. So, just wanted to clear the air if anyone noticed that "review" :|


	4. Race to Duelist Kingdom

The next day, Yugi, Teá, Joey and Tristan all sit in a huddle in Yugi's room around the television, taking in the latest news report. Cairo sits at a further distance with her arms and legs crossed and her eyes closed in meditation.

_It appears to be a tranquil morning in light of last night's chaos. But unexplained illuminations in the night sky and unusual weather patterns were reported in dozens of countries around the globe. Are these events related to the recent monster sightings? More to come. But first, the lottery numbers!_

"I guess what happened here, happened everywhere," Teá says.

"Yeah, but thanks to Yugi's card, he kicked that big eyeball's butt!" Joey says, picking up the Eye of Timaeus card in his hand to examine it.

There is a brief knock on the door and Grandpa Mutou enters carrying a box. "I'm sorry to interrupt you kids, but something came in the mail for you, Yugi."

Yugi gets up and takes the box out of his hands. "Any idea who it's from?"

His grandfather shakes his head. "My eyes aren't as good as they used to be."

"Well let's see…" Yugi looks closely at the label on the box and he gasps. Teá gets up as well and looks over his shoulder to read what is says.

"It says, 'From the office of Maximillion Pegasus,'" she reads out loud. There is silence followed by multiple blinks from the group before they all shriek in realization. Cairo's eyes fly open after the collective scream and she tilts her head in confusion. Why were they freaking out over a package? Yugi opens up the package, revealing a video tape.

"I say we toss the thing," Tristan suggests, remembering all of the pain and anguish Pegasus had caused them in the past during Duelist Kingdom.

"I'm with Tristan," Joey agrees, a bit of sweat dripping down his forehead and he grins. "I say we tape over it with some Saturday morning cartoons!"

Yugi looks over his shoulder as Yami appears. 'What do you think we should do?'

'Let's hear what he has to say,' Yami replies with his arms crossed over his chest. 'Besides, he did invent the game of Duel Monsters.'

'You think he has something to do with what's going on?'

'Perhaps. Let's play the tape.'

And with that, Yugi picks up the tape and walks over to the VCR to everyone else's horror. Joey and Tristan both cling on to the couch, not knowing what to expect, while Teá clenches her fists in anticipation as Yugi presses play. An image of a man wearing a red suit and long grey hair appears on the screen. He sat at his office desk with one leg crossed over the other.

"Greetings Yugi boy. It's been awhile. You never call, you never write. After all we've been through, you could've at least emailed me," Pegasus begins somewhat sarcastically. "Now unless you've been living under a rock for the past two days, you've realized that duel monsters have suddenly been living amongst us. Luckily for me, Kaiba-boy has been taking the heat for all of this. Of course I know who's really behind this and I must stop them. They are ruining the reputation of my game and I'm afraid that's just not good for business."

"I knew we should've played the tape," Joey blurts and Teá and Tristan give him the side eye.

"The only catch is, it's too risky for me to leave any information on this recording. That means you're gonna have to meet me in person."

Joey shutters. "Say what?!"

"It's the only way to ensure complete secrecy. And lastly, I've also enclosed a special card within your package," he continues, before his gaze becomes more serious. "Just make sure you don't lose it!"

Yugi's eyes widen. "Fine, I won't. Sheesh…"

"It's the only way you'll be able to enter my compound. Guard it with your life! They mustn't take it!" The screen goes to static signaling the end of the tape.

Yami appears next to Yugi once again. 'Let's go. Pegasus may be our only hope.'

Yugi nods in agreement. 'True.' He turns around to the rest of the group with a look of determination. "Alright guys, I'm going."

Joey blinks. "You sure?" Yugi nods. "Then I'm coming to! Consider my bags already packed!"

"Well then, count me in!" Teá chimes in.

"Me too!" Tristan says. "He is flying us first class right?"

Yugi smiles. "Thanks guys."

Teá walks over to Cairo and crouches down to her. The little girl opens her eyes and stares into Teá's. "Well what about you? Gonna tag along?"

Cairo glances over at Yugi then back to Teá before shrugging her shoulders. "I guess I should. Seems like all of the action happens around you guys. Besides, those souls are after the pharaoh. I should probably stay close by so I can capture them."

Teá smiles before standing up straight. "Then it's settled! We're going shopping!"

"Huh? How does me agreeing to accompany you on your trip correlate to…shopping?"

"I'm sure you're tired of wearing the same clothes and it'll help you fit in more!"

"Welp! Good luck Cairo! I'm headed out!" Joey says quickly slipping out the door and Tristan follows, only leaving Yugi. Whenever Teá gets into her little shopping moods, it can sometimes turn into an all day thing and the boys wanted nothing to do with it.

"You coming too, Yugi?" Teá asks.

"Uh…" He blushes and taps his chin and then quickly switches over to Yami who blinks a few times with surprise at the sudden switchover.

'Yugi! This isn't a duel!' he yells internally.

'Aw come on, it won't be too bad. Besides, maybe you can get to know Cairo more since it seems like you're both from the same time period,' Yugi replies in his head and Yami groans.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

The three of them walk down a shopping district filled with different boutiques and small shops. The sidewalk is filled with pedestrians, some carrying shopping bags and others eating food on the go. Teá smiles brightly as she holds onto her purse. This is totally her zone and she believes that shopping is a great stress reliever. Yami and Cairo on the other hand walk alongside her, both of them sporting identical pouts on their faces after practically being dragged there. Teá points to a nearby boutique and they all enter inside.

The amount of pink within the boutique is almost nauseating. It is filled with frilly dresses and other semi-casual clothes. As they walk through, Cairo can't help but notice the stares she is getting from other women that scoff at her clothes and whisper to each other. Yami feels a tug on his jacket and looks down to see Cairo holding onto it, as if doing so comforted her. It seems even she has her own insecurities despite not being the typical little girl, he thinks to himself.

Teá and Yami stand outside the dressing room, waiting for Cairo to appear. An employee that works there assists Cairo with the clothing that she deems to be odd. "So what do you think?"

Yami looks over at Teá with an eyebrow raised.

"Do you think Cairo will be able to help?"

"There's so many things we don't know about her, Teá. I'm not sure what to expect from her."

"Yeah, you're right. I was just hoping…"

"Hm?"

"What if it does turn out that she's someone from your past? Maybe she could be of some help to you."

"Perhaps. We will just have to wait and see."

The curtain to the fitting room flings open, revealing Cairo and the employee who seems a bit exhausted over fighting with Cairo over the wardrobe. "She wouldn't let me take that thing off her head," the employee says, wiping sweat off her brow.

"It stays," Cairo says, staring forward with a blank expression.

Teá chuckles. "Well, you look like a normal kid from Domino, Cairo." She is wearing blue jean shorts, a black fitted tank top with a loose gray crop top that hung off her shoulders with the word "CHAMP" that is is written in black, huge text. Cairo looks down at herself and moves her feet a little, gazing down at the black and white chucks that encloses her feet.

"What do you think?" Teá asks.

The girl looks at a mirror to observe the rest of her new clothing in full. She definitely looks like the typical person walking around and shouldn't have an issue with fitting in. But it's definitely going to take some getting used to. "Uh…thanks?" She makes her way to the exit and the employee's jaw drops as she walks out the door.

"Hey! You gotta pay for that!" the employee yells and Teá laughs nervously.

"Sorry. She's not from around here," she apologizes, quickly taking out a debit card out of her purse.

Cairo walks outside to get a little fresh air. The boutique was small in size and cramped with so many clothes that she could hardly breathe in there. She looks up to the buildings that tower above her. These glass structures definitely weren't around during her time. Nor were the fast moving metal objects in the street. Everything here is so different, she thinks to herself as she begins walking, observing every shop and corner. Even the food is something she isn't accustomed to, although she could see herself being accustomed to it rather quickly because of her love of food.

She looks over to a group of kids huddled in a circle in an alley across the street. Their laughter fills the air. Without looking both ways, she crosses the street, causing cars to abruptly come to a stop and angry motorists scolding her for crossing without looking both ways. As she gets closer to the group, something seems off. The laughter she hears doesn't seem innocent or fun-filled. Her eyes zoom in and she notices that they seem to be kicking around something.

"Stupid cat," a boy remarks with a grin, kicking the small gray kitten to the side. "Can't do any fun tricks."

"Just toss it in the trash," another kid suggests. "That's all he is anyway!" The kids laugh as the cat struggles to get up, but it is clearly injured from being abused. Cairo casually brushes past the group of boys to their surprise and she crouches down to the kitten, observing its injuries.

"Hey! Beat it, girl!" the large boy shouts. "Unless you want us to do the same thing we did to this fur ball!"

Cairo narrows her eyes, seeing the poor cat whimper in both pain and fear. How dare they do this to a poor, defenseless animal? She slowly lifts the kitten into her arms and cradles it carefully. "Don't worry," she assures it. "They won't hurt you anymore." She attempts to walk away, but she is blocked by the group.

The larger one, who appears to be the ring leader, stands in the front with his arms folded. "Where do you think you're going?"

Yami and Teá run out of the boutique looking for Cairo. "Where could she have gone?" Teá asks, looking around worriedly.

Yami scans the group of people, looking from left to right until his eyes land on a group of kids. "Over there," he points out and they both rush over. They stand behind the group and notice Cairo standing in the middle, carrying the weakened cat.

Teá narrows her eyes when she realizes what is going on. "Hey you guys! Leave them alone!"

Cairo sighs heavily as the boy in front of her laughs, the rest of the group egging on his antics. She has entertained this for far too long and she is more concerned about the well being of the cat. She attempts to walk forward a second time, but once again the boy makes her stop in her tracks, blocking her path.

"You're not going anywhere!"

She rolls her eyes and lets out an exasperated sigh. "Move." She uses her elbow to lightly nudge him, but that one small motion sends him flying into some nearby trash cans to everyone's shock. The rest of the group of boys all look in horror as their ring leader lays in a daze and they all back away slowly.

"Holy cow, she's strong," Teá says in shock.

"D-Did you see that? She barely moved a muscle!" one of them says.

"Let's get outta here!" another one yells, and they run over to grab the boy before running off. "Freak!"

"Cairo!" Teá exclaims as she and Yami run over to her.

"Are you alright?" Yami asks as Cairo looks down at the kitten that is bleeding and breathing heavily.

"That poor thing," Teá says with a frown. "We need to get it some help right aw—" She pauses when Cairo closes her eyes and her body begins to emit a purple glow. Miraculously, the cat's wounds slowly start to fade away.

"She's healing it," Yami remarks in astonishment.

After a few more moments, the kitten lifts his head and meows happily after being fully healed. It nuzzles its scruffy forehead into Cairo's chest with gratitude and she sets it down on the ground. "You be more careful okay?" She pets it on the head with a smile, before waving goodbye to it as she and the others begin to walk away. But the kitten doesn't let her go that easily as he begins to follow her. Cairo looks behind her and tilts her head. "Huh?"

She crouches down and blinks a few times. "Are you following me?" she asks the cat who responds with another happy meow before leaping into her arms. Cairo looks up to Teá and Yami questionably, not knowing how to take the cat's behavior.

Teá chuckles. "I think he likes you, Cairo."

"Is that so?" She looks down at the kitten who nuzzles her once more and perches on her shoulder, rubbing on to her cheek, causing Cairo to giggle. "Okay, okay. You can be my friend." Yami and Teá exchange looks before smiling.

Later on that day as the sun begins to set, they begin to make their back to their respective homes. Cairo walks ahead of them, the kitten resting on top of her head as she feeds it small treats. "Slow down little guy. I don't want you to choke!" she says as the kitten quickly eats up whatever treat she offers.

"She may be different in many ways, but she's still just a kid at the end of the day," Yami comments and Teá nods in agreement.

"Yeah. But wow, did you see what she did back there? As if the first time we met wasn't enough as far as showcasing her powers, she shows us that there's even _more_ to her."

"Indeed. She seems to be quite powerful…more than what we could ever imagine."

"Glad she's presumably on our side."

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

_"__The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading. There is no parking in the white zone,"_ a voice announced over the speakers of the airport the next day. Yugi and the gang hang out at their terminal, waiting to board their flight. The airport is packed with various people, from businessmen and women, to families eagerly looking forward to their vacation. Teá, Yugi, Tristan and Joey stand at the large window, watching as planes take off and land.

"There it is!" Teá exclaims in excitement, pointing out a private jet that Pegasus had set aside for them.

"Whoa! This is awesome! A private jet!" Tristan says, looking on.

"Eh…it's alright," Joey says with a shrug and he grins while poking his chest out. "I plan on having a whole fleet of these some day. _Air Joey_ has a nice ring!"

"Hey guys, where's Cairo?" Yugi asks, looking around and they all join him in looking out for her.

"We're gonna board soon," Teá says anxiously.

"I'll find her," Joey says and he dashes off in search for her.

"Hurry Joey!"

Cairo walks around the huge airport, carrying a red backpack on her back. This new world never ceases to amaze her. How on earth were humans so capable of achieving so much? Ancient Egypt came with its own sets of achievement as well, but nothing compares to the time she is in now. She approaches a window and places her hand on it.

"Wow…" Is all she manages to say as she watches the planes take off into the sky. To think that she will be on one of those soon.

"There you are!" a voice calls out and she turns around to see Joey running to her. "I've been looking all over for ya! It's time to go!"

"Joey, what are those things called?" she asks, pointing to the flying objects.

"Eh? They're planes," he answers. "It's just another way to get around and it's much faster than a car."

"I see." She feels shuffling in her back, and a certain furry kitten pops out of her book bag, revealing himself with a meow.

Joey's face drops. "You brought a cat?"

"Ebo."

"Huh?"

"His name is Ebo," she says as the cat nuzzles against her cheek.

"I don't think cats are allowed around here without being in a cage, Cairo," he tells her, only to be met by her confused expression. He sighs. "Let's just go. But don't let anyone see you with a cat in your bag."

Teá, Yugi and Tristan have already boarded the private jet by pilot's orders. It is very spacious, complete with furniture ranging from a full couch and a table and comfortable seating for take off and landing.

"I feel like a total rockstar!" Tea exclaims with excitement.

"Yeah, this is the life!" Tristan agrees, plopping down on one of the seats and taking a relaxed sigh. Yugi takes his seat next to him and looks out the window.

"So Yugi, why do you think Pegasus wants to see you?" Teá asks as she takes her seat in front of them.

"I'm not sure. I'm assuming he wants me to help him duel whoever is causing this mess," he guesses.

The door to the airplane closes and the pilot announces their preparation for takeoff to everyone's horror.

"Oh no! Joey and Cairo haven't made it in yet!" Teá says.

Tristan runs up to the cockpit and bangs on the door. "Hey! My buddy still isn't here yet! We can't leave!"

Joey and Cairo run up to the terminal window and Joey slams his fist into the glass as he sees the plane that they are supposed to be in, taking off already. He growls. "Darn it! We didn't make it back in time!" He slides down to the floor in defeat and clenches his fist. "I'm supposed to be helping my buddy Yug. Who knows what we're up against. He's gonna need all the help he can get!"

Cairo glances out the window and then sets her sights on Joey. "But what about all of those other…planes? They can't take us to our destination?"

Joey sighs. "Unfortunately that's not how that works." He sucks in his teeth with frustration. "Too bad we can't just magically fly and meet them there."

Cairo smirks. "I can arrange that."

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

"I have worked too hard repairing the reputation of this company! This has to stop! I want answers and I want it now!" Kaiba yells into his phone at one of his workers. The recent days have been hectic for him and he is getting the majority of the blame for the duel monsters sightings. The door to his office opens and in runs his little brother Mokuba, a small kid wearing an orange shirt and blue jeans with black hair that reaches his back.

"Seto! Check out our database! There's someone out there buying shares of our company!" Mokuba reveals.

"Impossible!"

"It's true! I saw it myself!"

Kaiba leans over to access the data on his computer and he bangs his hand on his desk. "There's only one person capable of doing such a thing." The phone rings and he reluctantly picks it up. The screen on the phone reveals none other than Pegasus, confirming Kaiba's suspicions. "So it was you."

"Hey Kaiba boy. I missed you," Pegasus says sarcastically, lounging at his desk with a smirk. "It looks like we're partners now! This is gonna be so much fun!"

"This company is mine!" Kaiba growls.

"You're always so uptight Kaiba boy. Why don't you treat yourself to a vacation?"

"Enough! There's no way I'm gonna let a snake like you wrap yourself around my company, is that clear?!"

"Relax. I don't want your company. I just needed the upper hand so I could force you to do something for me," he replies. "Plus I was bored and it was fun." He leans back in his chair with a somewhat carefree look on his face before continuing. "You see, since both of our reputations are at stake thanks to these pesky monsters, I thought we could boost our public image by dueling each other."

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Should I take that as a no? Well I'd reconsider that if I were you," he says, pointing at Kaiba thought the screen. "Because if not, I'll buy the rest of your company and take it apart, piece by pathetic piece."

Sweat begins to form on Kaiba's forehead. Pegasus has definitely put him in a tough spot and all of this couldn't have come at a worse time. He was in the process of announcing his newest project which is to build a Kaiba Land theme park. He has even promised his little brother that he wouldn't duel so that he could solely focus on that project.

Sensing's Kaiba's hesitation, Pegasus grins. He had him. "So what do you say, Kaiba boy? Do we have ourselves a duel?"

"Fine. You have yourself a duel, Pegasus."

"I thought you'd see things my way. I've set up an arena for us in Duelist Kingdom for old time's sake. See you there!"

Kaiba hangs up the phone and lowers his head with narrowed eyes. "Are you sure you wanna go through with this?" Mokuba asks.

"I have no choice."

_Meanwhile in the sky…_

"ARE YOU SURE THERE ISN'T ANOTHER WAY?!" Joey yells as he uses one hand to hang onto his luggage and the other is holding on to Cairo's hand for dear life as they fly high in the sky.

Cairo laughs. "Careful what you wish for!" she replies, referring to his earlier comment on being able to magically fly to meet the others at their destination.

"Stop getting a kick outta this!"

"I'm sorry," she giggles. "It's just…it's been so long since I've been able to fly and be this carefree. Even if it's just for a moment."

Joey frowns, realizing where her previous "home" is prior to her coming here. It's no wonder why she is so happy. "Must be tough," he comments in a more serious tone all of a sudden, causing her to look back at him. "Having to live in the Shadow Realm. To be alone."

She turns her head to focus on where she's going, not wanting to delve deeper into the subject.

"You're alright with me, Cairo."

"Hm?" She looks back once more, taken off guard by his comment.

"Anyone that would put their life on the line to save my friend Yugi, is a friend of mine."

"Friend…?" she repeats and he nods. She looks away, focusing on what's ahead. She has to stay focused, she tells herself. She didn't come here for new bonds or friendship. For ages, she has gotten used to being alone. It is her new reality, unfortunately, but she has come to accept it.

And yet, a smile finds its way upon her lips at her newfound friendship.

YGOGOYGOYGO

How's everyone liking this so far? Leave a review and let me know!


	5. It's a Trap

A large jet in the shape of the duel monster, the Blue Eyes White Dragon, lands on top of a castle belonging to Pegasus. Kaiba wasted no time to get there in order to get this all over with and hopefully regain the rest of his company. After the window of the jet opens, he and his brother jump out. He slides on his duel disk on his wrist and his brother follows him into a oddly empty castle. It is dim and eerily quiet as they walk through the halls.

"Maybe his workers are taking a vacation," Mokuba assumes.

As they walk deeper into the castle, all Kaiba can remember is all of the horrible memories that went down when they were here the last time. From his brother getting kidnapped, and both of them being trapped by one of Pegasus' "mind tricks" as Kaiba dubs them. They finally reach an old fashioned arena in which the duel monsters game is played directly on the arena board, unlike the portability of Kaiba's duel disks.

The sounds of Pegasus' laughter fills the area and Kaiba narrows his eyes in annoyance as Mokuba cowers behind him. "I've just about have enough of this," Kaiba says.

"Your lack of patience never fails to amuse me," Pegasus' voice echoes as he finally makes his appearance, wearing his trademark red suit.

"You're as irritating as ever."

"Come on. Where's the love Kaiba boy? After all, we've been through so much," he says with a smile as he stands across from them on the opposite side of the playing field.

"I didn't come here to catch up. I came here to duel you so you'll get outta my life!"

Pegasus holds his head dramatically. "That's not nice. What did I _ever_ do to deserve such hatred?"

"It's a long list and I'm short on time," Kaiba responds, growing more irritated.

"Well here we are again. In the same exact spot where I devastated you last time. So, are you ready for a repeat performance?" he asks as the field lights up in preparation for their duel.

Kaiba plugs in his duel disk and raises it. "Let's get this duel over with. The sooner I annihilate you, the sooner I can get outta here and move on with my life."

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

A black limo that was provided by Pegasus drives through the busy streets of San Francisco. Tristan looks out the window with amazement as the different cars whoosh by and planes fly overhead. He catches sight of none other than the Golden Gate Bridge and his eyes go wide. "This place is nothing like home!" he comments excitedly.

"Focus Tristan. We still need to figure out a way to get Joey here," Teá says. "Besides, we're not here on vacation. We're here to see Pegasus."

"I knew that," Tristan says, scratching his head with an embarrassed smile.

Yami appears alongside Yugi. 'She's right. And based on the message he sent us, it's sounds like Pegasus may already be in trouble.'

"You okay, Yugi?" Teá asks, noticing his worried expression.

"Aren't you guys worried about what Pegasus said on that video tape? Someone's following him. And I have a feeling it's the same biker gang that stole the Egyptian God cards from my grandpa's shop."

"If they found him, we could be walking into a trap!" Teá realizes. Unbeknownst to them, their limo driver lowers his head under his cap with a grin.

As Kaiba duels Pegasus back at Duelist Kingdom, something to him seems off about the gray haired man. Every single move Pegasus duels is an exact resemblance to how he dueled him the last time. It feels like déja vu to him which is strange for someone as unpredictable as Pegasus. As he continues to thrash Pegasus' life points, the man becomes noticeably silent, as if surrendering the duel.

"If you don't do something, I'm taking your silence as a forfeit," Kaiba says, and Pegasus remains silent. "Last chance."

Pegasus suddenly laughs. "It's just I haven't been feeling myself lately," he begins in his regular voice, until there is a shift from his baritone voice to a slightly higher pitched voice. Kaiba's eyes widen in shock as the man pulls off his costume, revealing a guy wearing a great tank top, black pants and red hair.

"Who are you?" Kaiba asks, growing increasingly irritated about the situation. "You're gonna pay for fooling me! My family business has nothing to do with you!"

"The name's Allister! And your family business has everything to do with me!"

"Alright Alister, who put you up to this?" he asks, not convinced that he is working alone.

"No one. I'm here to represent every single family your company has torn apart! And more importantly, I'm here to make sure you're never able to step on anyone again!" he exclaims, raising the Seal of Orichalcos card into the air and playing it on the field. The seal surrounds them as well as appears on the red head's forehead.

"What is this?"

"Once you lose the duel, you lose your soul."

"What bone do you have to pick with me?" Kaiba asks, still confused by Allister's actions.

"Your father took my little brother away from me and now I'll never see him again!" he exclaims as he takes out a burnt action figure out of his pocket. "This is all I have to remember him by." He closes his eyes to prevent the tears from falling, recounting when his brother was taken away from him. Military tanks from Kaiba Corp. rampaged his city, tearing down buildings piece by piece. As he and his brother were trying to get away, an explosion from a tank ultimately took his life, only leaving his favorite action figure behind.

"But what does that have to do with me?"

"You've taken on the family company now. It's time to pay for your father's crimes by giving up your soul," he says angrily.

Kaiba closes his eyes and sighs. The story of Allister's brother really hit him hard. As someone who is close to his own brother and would do anything for him, he sympathizes with Allisters. "Look. I agree that my stepfather was a snake and what he did to your family is wrong. And you deserve to be paid for that." But then his eyes fly open with anger. "Then again, I don't really care for the way you got me here by threatening to put me out of business! So why don't we continue this duel!"

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

As the limo progresses further down the road, the scenery becomes much different than when they first arrived. Instead of being surrounded by multiple skyscrapers and high rises, they are instead surrounded by nothing but desert, sand and cracked, damaged roads. They pull up to an abandoned gas station and the limo comes to a complete stop.

Tristan turns around to the front of the limo as the driver stays silent. "Hey, why'd we stop, man?" The driver calmly gets out and walks away to everyone's confusion. "He probably has to take a leak."

They decide to wait patiently for the driver, but after twenty minutes have gone by, they start to suspect something else is amiss. "Maybe we should go check on him?" Tea suggests and they all exit the limo, facing the abandoned gas station.

"Doesn't look like business is booming," Tristan says sarcastically.

"Hello? Mr. Limo Driver, sir?" Teá calls inside, but no one answers.

"Weird…it doesn't look like anybody is here," Yugi comments as he looks around anxiously.

"But how?"

"Wait a second guys…" Tristan narrows his eyes and focuses on a humming sound that he hears all of a sudden. "Do you hear that?" Teá and Yugi look from left to right in confusion, not hearing what Tristan is hearing. The humming sound becomes louder, as if something is approaching. As Tristan continues to listen, it becomes apparent that the humming noise he is hearing, sounds like a motor.

"Wait, I hear it now," Yugi says as it becomes louder. They all run out into the middle of the road as they watch a cloud of smoke coming their way. To their shock, it is a large group of riders on motorcycles wearing dark clothing, carrying a wide variety of weapons in their hands, from chains, poles and sticks.

Tristan moves Teá behind him and stands in front of her protectively as the men on motorcycles stop in front of them.

"You kids shouldn't be roaming around these parts," one of them says.

"Yeah, you never know who may drive by," another snickers.

"The gas station's closed!" Tristan yells. "So just keep moving!"

'Yugi!' His Millennium Puzzle begins to glow as Yami calls out to him.

'Hm? What is it pharaoh?'

'This looks dangerous. Let me take over.' Yugi nods and soon, Yami is standing in his place, narrowing his eyes at the biker thugs.

"What do you guys want anyway?" Teá says, clenching her fists at her chest.

"Yeah! Didn't I tell you to get lost?" Tristan adds in.

"I don't believe they're taking your advice," Yami notes, telling from how the gang is showing no signs of backing down.

"I guess the spiky haired guy's the smart one," says one of the men.

"I think we should make a run for it!" Tristan grabs onto Teá's wrist and leads her away and Yami follows along as they try to make their way back to the limo. But the motorcycles are fast on their tail. Unknown to them, two other henchmen are witnessing this all happen.

"The pharaoh and his friends are ours," says Rafael with his arms folded across his chest.

"Yeah, they'll never be able to outrun our choppers," Valon agrees. And surely he is right, for they have the group surrounded.

"What do we do now?" Tea says in a panic. One of the motorcycle members drives toward them, holding a wooden stick in their hand, preparing to strike, but as he gets closer, a hard rock strikes him in the head, causing him to lose balance and fall off his motorcycle. A few other bikers try to make the same attempt, only to be thrown off by rocks as well, giving Yami and the others an open path to escape.

Tristan and the others look around to see the source of who threw the rocks. Teá looks over her shoulder and she smiles with surprise and relief. "It's Joey!" she exclaims as he stands from afar, holding another rock in his hand and throwing it up into the air a few times.

"Who else wants some?" he taunts with a grin.

"Where did he come from?" asks Valon, who continues to observe what is going on.

"Come on guys!" Tristan urges and they make another run toward the limo.

"Don't let them escape!" the ringleader of the gang yells and the bikers follow them once more. They all manage to hop into the limo, with Tristan being the driver as he zooms off with the bikers still following close behind. Yami and Teá weren't expecting another guest to be there with them.

"Cairo?" Yami says, surprised to see the girl sitting there with her cat resting on top of her head.

"How did you guys even get here?" Teá asks.

"She flies," Joey says in between in breaths, pointing at her with his thumb.

"Now's not the time for small talk, you guys," Tristan says, snapping them back to reality. "Those thugs are still on our tail!" He slams down on the gas, causing a thick smoke to blow out of the tail pipes. Looking through the rear view mirror, he sees that the gang of bikers are still in pursuit of them with no signs of giving up any time soon. It doesn't seem like that burst of speed did much to open the gap between them. Limos definitely aren't the best vehicle of choice to use when trying to make a quick get away, that's for sure.

"Can't you make this thing go any faster?!" Joey yells.

"Shut up!" Tristan yells back.

"Tristan, look!" Teá says, pointing up ahead as they drive toward the side of a cliff, signaling a dead end. "We're about to be trapped!"

"Great! Now what?" Tristan says as sweat drips down his temple and he grips the wheel even tighter. He knows that he will eventually have to stop. But who knows what those thugs will do to them once they're captured.

"Keep going," Cairo says with her eyes closed.

"Eh Cairo, if you haven't noticed, we're headed straight for that rocky wall!" Joey points out.

"Yeah, we'll crash!" Teá adds in with a panicked expression on her face.

Yami whips his head around to see the biker gang still on their tail and then he turns to look at the wall, gritting his teeth. His eyes finally land on Cairo who still has her eyes shut and he takes a deep breath. "Keep going, Tristan."

"Are you crazy?!" he yells.

"We have to trust Cairo," Yami replies calmly on the outside. But a part of him can't help but feel a little anxious. He doesn't know what exactly Cairo is planning to do, but he does know that she is capable of things that a normal human being isn't. So he decide to put his faith in her.

Joey clenches his seat and Teá shuts her eyes, letting out a panicked scream as they get closer and closer to the dead end. Tristan can feel his whole body starting to shake as he prepares himself for impact. "We're gonna crash!" he screams and Yami shields his face with his arm as they finally make contact. Then there is silence, followed by darkness.

That's it.

This is really the end.

This is what death feels like.

Or so they think.

The sound of tires skidding and the smell of rubber and smoke fills the air as they come to a complete stop. Yami slowly drops his arm from his eyes and he gasps. Somehow they are still alive and well. He looks out the rear window and sees the rocky wall behind them instead of in front of them and the bikers are no longer in sight.

"Is everyone alright?" Teá asks, as she looks to the others who look just as confused as to what has happened.

"I think I burned out the engine," Tristan says, breathing heavily.

"Wait a minute…" Joey says, beginning to register everything. How did we end up on the other side of that wall?"

As if they all come to the realization at the same time, all of their eyes land on Cairo, who has as purple aura surrounding her as her eyes glow the same color as well.

"Where the heck did they go?" Rafael asks, taking off his sunglasses as he looks with disbelief.

"They just vanished through the rock!" Valon says, equally shocked.

"But how?"

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

"Thanks a lot Tristan. This is a lot better than riding on a limo," Joey says sarcastically as they all sit on the back of a pick up truck after the driver is nice enough to give them a ride to meet with Pegasus.

"No one thinks you're funny, Joey." Tristan dims his eyes at his friend's sly remark.

"Do us a favor, eh? Next time, let a pro do the driving."

"So the limo overheated. Sue me!"

"Stop you guys!" Teá intervenes.

"Teá's right. This is no time to be arguing," Yami says.

"Besides, we have Cairo to thank. If it weren't for her, we'd all be goners."

Cairo feeds Ebo a treat as he lies on her shoulder, munching on it happily. She giggles lightly as he licks her cheek in gratitude and she nuzzles his wet nose with hers.

"How did you do that anyway, Cairo?" Tristan asks and the girl tilts her head. "How were you able to make us all go through that wall?"

"I mean, it should be obvious. I just used my abilities is all," she responds, still keeping her attention on Ebo as she feeds him yet another snack.

"How did you end up so powerful?" Teá asks, wondering if she can use this moment to get Cairo to open up more.

"I don't know. I just am…"

"Come on Cairo. You don't have to be so guarded with us!" Joey assures her. "We're your friends!" She lowers her eyes and groans inwardly while twiddling her fingers.

"Must be cool to have all of those powers," Tristan says with a smirk. "If I had power like that, all of my problems would be solved."

"I don't think having powers will remind you to put on a fresh pair of socks," Joey mutters as he fans his nose and Tristan puts him into a headlock.

"I'd use my powers to knock you into oblivion!" he says, playfully knocking him on the head with his fists.

"Well I'd use mine to blast you away!"

As they both go back and forth, Cairo places her hands on her lap and clenches her fists. She lowers her head as Joey and Tristan debate as to what they would do if they had her abilities. They literally have no idea, she says in her head. They have no idea the amount of pain and anguish those abilities have caused her in the past. She shuts her eyes as their pointless bickering seems to get louder and louder until it is too much.

"Having powers would be awesome!" Tristan says.

Teá, noticing how uncomfortable the subject is making Cairo, decides to quickly change the subject. "Uh…so have you had any luck capturing any more souls?"

Cairo shakes her head. "It's going to be harder than I thought. I was surprised to see one of the spirits had inhabited the body of someone of this world. It's not something I was anticipating."

"What do they want with me?" Yami asks.

"5,000 years ago, there was an attack that was ordered by the previous pharaoh's brother to a place called Kul Elna. But the previous pharaoh…your father...took the fall for it," Cairo explains.

Yami's eyes widen. "My father?"

Cairo nods before continuing. "Many souls were lost that day. And now, since you're back in the world of the living and some have escaped from the Shadow Realm, they seek revenge on you."

Yami lowers his eyes. She clearly knows a lot about his past, just as Teá has suspected. What else does she know about his past life as pharaoh?

'You alright?' Yugi asks, appearing next to him. 'You look like you have a lot on your mind.'

'Yes, I'm fine,' he responds and he looks up at Cairo who converses with the others. 'What if she truly can help me regain my memories?'

Yugi nods. 'It does seem like she may know a few things about what went on when you were pharaoh. It doesn't hurt to try and get to know her more. She seems a bit guarded, but maybe she'll open up and reveal more once she gets comfortable.'

'Right.'

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

"What do you mean vanished?" Dartz asks with his back turned to his two of his henchmen.

Rafael bows his head in respect, crossing a hand over his chest as he responds. "I'm not sure, master. But our choppers were on their tail and they miraculously vanished through a wall."

"It sounds crazy, but it really did happen," Valon chimes in.

"People do not just vanish through walls." Dartz is growing very agitated. His men aren't making any sense to him at all. He never knew the pharaoh to be capable of doing such things, so how did he and his friends manage to disappear?

"We know how," comes a masculine voice from the entrance of Dartz's lair. They all turn around to see two bikers wearing helmets approaching them.

"Who let you two in here?" Rafael snaps. "You're supposed to be outside waiting on our next order."

Dartz raises his hand to silence Rafael before motioning the two bikers to come forth. One takes off their helmet, revealing their spiky, red hair with matching hair and eyebrows. His skin is pale and his body is slim but muscular. The other biker with more feminine features also removes her helmet. Her black hair is pulled back into a low bun and her gray eyes are narrowed with long eyelashes.

"Kazuki…Kitana…what do you know?" Dartz asks.

"Please, call me Hasani," the red haired one answers to Dartz and the others confusion.

"And I am Nubia," says the woman.

Dartz narrows his eyes and concentrates on the two individuals standing in front of them. They definitely aren't the same henchmen that he originally allowed to come aboard. Something is different about them. He outstretches his hands toward them and his eyes begin to glow as he sees into their souls. "I sense two spirits that are not of this world. What business do you have here?"

"We are souls who were killed during the attack on our town of Kul Elna 5,000 years ago. And we seek revenge on the pharaoh. He must pay for his family's crimes," Hasani responds, clenching one of his fists.

"Please, allow us to help you bring the pharaoh down for good," says Nubia, taking a step forward.

"The pharaoh's soul is mine, understand?" Dartz says, giving them a warning glare. "I've worked too hard for this moment for you to interfere with my plans."

"What if I told you, you won't be able to get the pharaoh's soul?" Hasani says, but he quickly winces when he sees that the statement he has just made has agitated Dartz even more.

Nubia bows her head. "What he means by that, your greatness, is that stealing his soul will be a near impossible task because of a certain princess."

Dartz raises his eyebrow. "What do you mean, princess? Explain yourself."

"The princess seeks to return us back to where we belong before we're able to execute our revenge. She guards the souls of the Shadow Realm, a place that has kept us captive for centuries. She is extremely powerful and will protect her father at all costs."

Rafael blinks. "Did you just say her father?"

"So the pharaoh's a dad, eh?" Valon says with a smirk. "Who woulda thought?"

"She is the reason why they escaped," Hasani says. "Her name is Cairo."

"Things just got a bit more interesting, huh boss?" Valon asks.

"Indeed," Dartz agrees.

Rafael frowns. "And how do we beat someone who has the ability to go through walls and who knows what else?"

"We fight fire with fire." He looks down at Hasani and Nubia and smirks before outstretching his glowing hand toward them. They both look around in confusion as their bodies begin to glow and they feel a surge of energy going through their bodies. After a brief burst of light, it fades and Dartz drops his hand to his side with a smirk.

"What just happened?" Nubia asks, blinking a few times and looking down at her hands.

"I hold a great amount of power myself and I'm sure I could take Cairo down with ease," Dartz says confidently. "Unfortunately, I don't have time to toy around with some kid. So I have lent you some of my power."

"What?" Hasani says with disbelief.

"Use it wisely. Get rid of the kid and I'll let you witness the demise of the pharaoh."

Hasani and Nubia both look at each other with shock. Dartz giving them some of his power is something they definitely weren't expecting. But those looks of confusion and shock soon turn to looks of realization before morphing into an evil grin. Now they will be able to get rid of Cairo by their own hands and most importantly, witness the downfall of the pharaoh.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

That's not good. Looks like things are gonna get a bit harder for Cairo and the others in the coming chapters.


	6. Friend or Foe

Kaiba and Mokuba exit Duelist Kingdom on their way back to their jet. After being tricked by Allister, Kaiba is growing increasingly agitated after their duel that resulted in a tie. But something else happened during that duel that still perplexes Kaiba. He reaches into his deck to pull out a card that he previously didn't have.

The Fang of Critias. A powerful dragon that aided him in his battle when all hope seemed lost. But Allister had his own tricks and since the duel resulted in a tie, the Seal of Orichalcos took no one. He isn't sure how the card ended up in his deck. He just remembers a voice calling out to him, telling him to release the monster from its icy prison and he did just that. He places the card back into his deck and growls.

Mokuba lowers his head as he follows his older brother. "Seto? Aren't you worried he'll come back for revenge? You heard him. He has the power to steal souls!"

"Come on. You believed all that nonsense?" Seto asks in disbelief as he looks at his younger brother over his shoulder. "Allister was just a desperate looney who wanted a shot at beating a real duelist. He didn't have any magic powers, Mokuba."

"But Seto! That Orichalcos thing seemed pretty real to me!"

'It had to be a trick,' Seto replies in his head. 'But what I don't get is how this card ended up in my deck. It's one of the most powerful cards I've ever seen. And I need to find out more about it. There's only one person who would have that knowledge. And that's the _real _Pegasus.'

They both hop into the jet, preparing for take off. Mokuba presses a few buttons and the jet starts to ascend into the air. "Initiating navigation systems."

"Activating rear thrusters." And on cue, the jet zooms off to it's next destination. The headquarters of Pegasus, known as Industrial Illusions.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Yami and the others finally arrive at Pegasus' headquarters. As they walk into the lobby, they notice that it is surprisingly empty with no signs of anyone else being there.

"Hello? Pegasus?" Tristan calls out as they stand in the middle of the enormous lobby. "This place is completely empty!"

"Well maybe it's like…some kind of holiday or something," Joey guesses, placing a hand in his pocket.

"But why were the front doors left wide open?" Teá asks. "It's just weird."

'I've got a bad feeling about this,' Yugi says, appearing next to Yami.

'So do I. I suspect the thieves that were after Pegasus have already gotten to him. And if that's the case, then I'm sure they're expecting us.'

Teá walks over to one of the receptionist phones and places it up to her ear. But there is no dial tone and instead there is complete silence on the other end. She turns to the group. "Hey guys! The phones aren't working!"

Soon after she makes that statement, the gates of the headquarters begin to lower down in front of all of the doors and windows, causing them to be trapped. Yami, Teá, Joey and Tristan all run in separate directions, trying to lift and tug at the gates, but to no avail. They are stuck there.

"We've been tricked!" Teá exclaims as she tries to lift up the gates alongside Tristan.

"Aw man, not again!" Tristan yells.

Yami gives the gate a few pulls, but it doesn't budge. "Stay calm."

Joey whips his head around to Cairo who still stands in the middle of the lobby, watching as this all goes down. "Hey Cairo! Can you get us outta here?" Before she can answer, she quickly turns around when she hears the sound of a motorcycle revving up. It echoes throughout the large room, making it hard for them to pinpoint where exactly it is coming from.

"Show yourself!" Yami demands as he stands alongside Cairo.

"It's probably those biker thugs again," Tristan says.

Cairo's amethyst eyes slowly scroll up to a balcony and she points upward to the source of the noise. Yami and the others look up just in time to see a motorcycle hop down from the balcony. They all gasp in unison seeing it come down from an incredible height, but the rider still manages to land on its two wheels with no problem at all. Finally after much suspense, the bike rider takes of their helmet. Her long, blonde hair is released and it flows down to her back. She wears black knee high boots, shorts, a crop top and a matching jacket.

Joey runs a few feet ahead, standing in front of Yami and Cairo to get a closer look at who he thinks to be a familiar face. She shakes her head a few times to straighten out her hair before looking over to the group with her narrowed, violet eyes. Joey sighs in relief.

"It's Mai!" he says happily. She is an old friend of theirs, dating all the way to when they dueled one another at Duelist Kingdom and the Battle City Tournament. She especially had a close bond with Joey, especially after her duel with an evil man known as Marik during Battle City. After losing a duel to him, Marik had sent her mind to the Shadow Realm. But regardless of her not showing any signs of waking up at that time, Joey stayed by her side.

"Hey Mai!" Teá greets with a smile.

"It's been awhile," Joey says, taking a few more steps toward her. "What brings you here to San Francisco? The trolleys?"

She scoffs at him which takes him by surprise and he tugs nervously at his collar. Swinging a leg over, she finally gets off of her motorcycle, revealing a dark colored duel disk that resembles the duel disks of the other henchmen. Joey raises an eyebrow at her silence. "What's going on, Mai? Why the silent treatment?"

"I'm not Mai. At least, not the Mai you knew," she replies, taking a card out of her deck.

"Huh?"

She turns the card to reveal it to them and they all gasp in shock when they see an image of a distressed Pegasus on it, covered by the seal. "Say hello to Pegasus."

"What?!" Yami says, not expecting Mai of all people to be on the side of the Orichalcos. And he definitely did not expect for her to be the one to capture Pegasus' soul.

"Did you do that to him?" Teá asks, not believing what she's seeing.

"Start talking Mai! What happened?" Joey asks.

"What's the matter Wheeler? Your little reunion with Mai not turn out the way you'd like?" comes a familiar voice from up on the balcony. Joey looks up to see Valon and Rafael spectating their interaction. Valon then turns his sights to Mai. "And you! Why are you keeping these guys all for yourself, Mai? Why don't you show some manners and share some of the fun with us?"

"Mind your own business you lackeys!" Mai snaps. "These geeks are mine!"

Joey frowns at the word. "Geeks? We're your friends Mai." He thinks back to when they left Battle City, remembering how Mai and him talked about their growing friendship and everything they've been through together. But now it seems like all of that didn't matter. "Please Mai. Tell me this is all a joke! You're on our side, remember?"

"Great. Mai totally turned on us!" Tristan says.

"No! Mai would never do that!" Teá exclaims in disbelief, turning to him briefly before turning her head back to Mai. "Tell him, Mai. You're still our friend, right?"

"Time to explain yourself," says Yami.

"I was never apart of your little play group. And now I'm gonna break you apart, one by one," she replies, whipping out her duel disk in preparation for a duel. "And Wheeler, I'm starting with you!"

"Fine," Joey accepts, taking out his duel disk as well.

"And to think, I was pathetic enough to call you my friend," she says, taking out a card in particular. "You were holding me back from achieving real power. Say hello to my real friend, The Seal of Orichalcos!" She raises the card momentarily before placing it down on her duel disk, activating the card and it forms around them.

Yami shields his face as the seal grows larger, pushing them back. "No. Not this."

Joey gasps, realizing that he is now surrounded by the seal. She has put him in a tough position and has given him no choice but to duel her. But the dilemma is if he wins, she'll lose her soul once again like she has in the past. But if he loses, he won't be able to help Yugi fight the evil that is causing all of this mess.

Mai laughs at Joey's panicked expression. "If you're scared now, just wait til you lose."

"Wake up Mai. This thing's nothing but bad news!" he yells as a black aura surrounds her and she stands with her arms folded and a grin on her face. "It's messing with your mind! Don't you remember everything we've been through together? Just ditch that freaky card and things can be the way they used to be!"

But she doesn't respond to his pleas. Instead, she laughs once again at his feeble attempts to convince her what she's doing is wrong. She lifts her head, revealing the seal on her forehead and he grits his teeth. He isn't getting through to her at all.

"It's exactly as I feared," Yami says as he witnesses this all going down. "The Orichalcos controls her. This duel must end."

"Otherwise, she's gonna do the same thing to Joey that she did to Pegasus!" Teá says worriedly.

"Mai…let's talk. Please!" Joey begs of her.

She throws a card down on her duel disk. "I summon Harpie Lady!" A monster with long red hair, ghoulish skin and long arms with wings attached appears on the field. It is her signature card that she has used in all of her duels. Her eyes glow red as the seal appears on her forehead just as it does to her master.

"No Mai. Someone's gonna get hurt," Joey says as his eyes begin to water.

"That's the point. Whoever loses this duel, loses their soul."

"No…I won't lose you again. You have to snap out of this!"

Yugi appears next to Yami. 'They can't go through with this. We've gotta do something.'

Yami looks down at his Millennium Puzzle and grunts. 'Yes, but the puzzle is powerless against that seal.'

"Aye pharaoh! Quit mumbling to yourself down there will ya!" Valon calls out tauntingly. "Once the seal appears, it doesn't disappear without taking a soul along with it."

"And don't think you're off the hook pharaoh. Once she takes your friend's soul, I'm coming for you!" Rafael chimes in.

"Get back in your cage, gorilla boy!" Mai shoots back, sending them a glare. "Once I'm done with Wheeler, Yugi is mine!"

"She's nuts," Teá comments, not understanding where all of the animosity is coming from all of a sudden.

"I never liked her," Rafael mutters with his arms folded."No respect. Any more lip from her and she's next."

"Aw give her a break," Valon says with a smile, getting a kick out of it all. "She's still new. Plus she's cute when she gets mad, don't you think?"

"Uh…no."

"Your move hot shot. This year would be nice," Mai responds, pointing at him. "The old Mai you knew is gone. She was weak and pathetic."

"Well I happened to like the old Mai!" Joey says. "And I'm gonna get her back!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

Joey finally but reluctantly readies his duel disk for a duel. But just as quickly as he plays down a card, Mai is already on the offensive, attacking his monster that is weaker than her Harpie Lady and then attacking his life points directly after summoning another one of her Harpie Ladies.

Tristan looks away. "I can't watch this. Not if he's gonna throw away the duel to save Mai!"

"Would he really do that?" Cairo asks, looking up at Yami.

"It wouldn't be the first time he risked his life to save Mai," he replies, remembering the moment at Battle City where he did just that. She was up against Marik and down to her final life points. It was a similar scenario in which the loser would lose their soul along with their memories. She was chained down by one his magic cards, with no way to escape. With the god card, The Winged Dragon of Ra on the field, Marik delivered the final blow that was supposed to be a direct hit to Mai. But at the last minute, Joey jumped in to try and set her free. Just as the attack was about to make contact, Yami rushed on the field to shield them both.

"Last time I stepped in and saved them both. But this time, the force we're up against is too strong. Even for my Millennium Puzzle."

"You have to snap out of this spell Mai! Otherwise, someone's gonna lose their soul!" Joey continues as the duel goes on. He is losing at the moment, but his mind isn't fully on the duel. How can he focus when both of their lives are at stake?

"What spell?" Mai replies to everyone's shock. "I'm not being controlled. I'm doing this on my own!"

"Say what?"

"I was sick of my life. So I chose to change it!"

"No way!"

"How could you?" Teá asks in disbelief.

"You guys would never understand…You've never been an outsider like me." She lowers her head, thinking back to all of the times where she has been lonely or made fun of. After Battle City, she continued to try and make a name for herself. But even after winning numerous tournaments after the fact, no one took her seriously. "Shortly after those tournaments, I started having nightmares. Nightmares of Marik and being sent to the Shadow Realm. Every night it was the same dream. I was weak and no one was there to rescue me."

"I never knew you felt that way," Joey says, clenching his fists. "Why didn't you say anything? We coulda helped you Mai."

"Save it! I don't need your kind of help. All I need now is power!"

_Flashback_

_"__You've been lied to for too long," Dartz tells her as they stand in his lair. After wandering the streets aimlessly, she had come across Valon who had promised to help her gain what she wanted most. "Those who called themselves your friends all turned on you. You poor thing. Those scoundrels left you alone in that terrible place while they soaked up all the glory. And you deserve so much more than that. You deserve to be the greatest duelist the world has ever seen!"_

_Mai drops down to her knees as heart begins to pound. Finally. Someone who understands her. "That's what I want!"_

_"__Trust me and the ultimate power shall be yours!"_

_"__I trust you." She looks up at him with desperation in her eyes._

_"__Then there's one thing left to do."_

_"__I'll do anything! Anything!" she exclaims, jumping up to her feet._

_"__Will you surrender your weak side?"_

_"__Of course!"_

_He grins as he points to her forehead. "Good. Then the power you desire is now yours." As his finger makes contact, her head jerks back and she lowers it, revealing the seal on her forehead._

_"__Welcome. From this day forth, you'll now serve the Orichalcos."_

_End Flashback_

"Time's up. In just a few moments, I'll win and you'll lose your soul!" she says, drawing a card and Joey narrows his eyes. This duel hasn't been going in his favor, and now he's down to his law few life points. He looks down to his deck and takes a deep breath. As he begins to reach his hand to draw his next card, the card suddenly begins to emit a glow.

A light from the corner of his eye also causes Yami to look at his deck as well. He draws the Eye of Timaeus card and looks at it with wonder. As both of their decks glow, they are both transported to a large castle, a place very familiar to Yami. He and Joey appear in front of a large ice sculpture of a dragon with a sword within it and Joey looks around in confusion.

"What's going on? Wasn't I just in the middle of a duel?" he asks.

"I've been to this place before," Yami says.

Joey looks up at the large sculpture in awe. "Whoa. That's a large dragon!"

"It's a legendary dragon frozen in time. And if my theory is correct, you must release it by removing that sword."

"Say what now?" He hesitates before placing hand on the handle of the sword. He feels a huge wave of energy overcoming him that almost takes his breath away. He puts another hand on the sword and pulls with all of his might, finally releasing the dragon known as Hermos. It appears in front of them with a loud roar as the ice shatters from its body, finally being freed from its icy prison.

Joey blinks as he finds himself back in real time during his duel. He looks around and then down to his deck. "Was that a dream just now?" he asks himself before looking over his shoulder to Yami who looks on knowingly. He finally draws the card out of his deck and gasps. "No way…"

"Did he draw something good or not?" Tristan yells as the suspense is killing him. "Cuz this is his last shot!"

Joey lifts the card into the air. "Meet my new friend, HERMOS!"

"No way…" Rafael says, recognizing the monster he just played as one of the legendary dragons.

"How did he get his hands on such a powerful card?" Valon asks, narrowing his eyes, fearing the worst for Mai.

Mai holds her arms, knowing that this is signaling the end for her. She begins to breathe heavily as panic sets in. "No…I have to win…I won't go back to that dark place."

"Oh well," Rafael says with a shrug. "It was fun while it lasted. She's a goner."

"Hermos atta—"

But before Joey could call out the attack, Valon leaps from the balcony, grasping the necklace around his neck that contains the Orichalcos stone.

"What are you doing?!" Rafael calls after him.

"With this fragment of the Orichalcos stone, I unlock the seal!" he chants as the stone glows. He slams it down on the barrier, causing the seal to burst, blowing everyone back to the floor.

Yami and the others slowly sit up as the smoke disappears. The Seal of Orichalcos has miraculously gone away. Joey lays face down on the floor from the impact and Valon holds Mai in his arms as Rafael joins his side. "Valon, what are you doing? You mean to tell me you did all that just to save some girl? You've betrayed our master and put your soul at risk! "

"She's not just some girl!" he yells back defensively.

Rafael grunts. "Would you listen to yourself?" He gets up and stands across from Yami. "I'll make up for this by taking your soul, pharaoh." He raises his Orichalcos stone into the air, causing a blinding light and it when it finally fades, they are gone.

"Joey!" Tristan yells as he and Teá rush to his aid. He slowly gets up on his hands and knees and holds his head. Then realization sets in and he whips his head around.

"Where's Mai? Did those thugs take her?"

Teá bows her head. "Yeah. They're gone."

He punches the floor in anger and frustration. "I'll get you back Mai…"

The gates that were once blocking them from getting out begin to lift to everyone's surprise. And in comes a man with black hair in a ponytail, green eyes, a red vest and black pants.

"Duke!" Tristan says, recognizing the familiar face. "How'd you know we were here?"

"Long story," he replies. "But as you were dueling, I noticed you were trapped. So I was able to crack the code. What happened here?"

"It's an even longer story," Teá responds.

The entrance's sliding glass doors open, revealing Kaiba and Mokuba who walk into the lobby to join them.

"Sheesh…what are the odds?" Tristan asks, holding his head.

"Oh great. The dweebs are here," Seto says, looking away. Cairo tilts her head and levitates until she is floating directly in front of him. "Can I help you?" She didn't realize that a few people from her past have been reincarnated into this present world. First Shimon and now Seto? But this version of Seto seems to be a little bit on the meaner side telling by his attitude.

"Seto?" she says as her face edges closer to his to observe and compare more of his similar features to a certain individual of her past.

"Back off, kid."

Mokuba looks down and then back up at Cairo before gasping in realization. "Hey wait! You're flying!"

"Uh…who is that?" Duke asks, noticing the same thing Mokuba has just pointed out.

Teá sweat drops and chuckles. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

"Any sign of Pegasus?" Seto asks to which Yami shakes his head.

"I'm afraid we're too late."

"Believe it or not, Mai Valentine got here before we did and took his soul using this Orichalcos card," Tristan explains.

Seto narrows his eyes, the name of that card ringing a bell. "Orichalcos?"

"Kaiba, have you experienced this card before?" Yami asks.

"You bet!" Mokuba answers for him. "And Seto wiped the floor with someone who played it. He pretended to be Pegasus and made us fly all the way out to Duelist Kingdom to duel him."

"And then he ran away," Seto finishes. "So we came here to get some answers. Whoever captured Pegasus is trying to buy my company and that's unacceptable."

Yami takes the card from the package Pegasus gave them the other day out of his pocket "This card Pegasus sent us may be a clue. It seems to contain the image of a key."

Duke perks up. "Wait! There was one door that did not open even after I cracked the security system."

"That it!"

"Take us there right now!" Seto demands loudly.

Duke blinks a few times. "Uh…calm down."

After leading them to the door, Yami swipes the card in the slot, causing the door to open. They enter into the dark room and a hologram of Pegasus appears before them.

Yami's eyes widen. "Pegasus…"

"A hologram" Seto corrects.

"Yugi-boy. At least I hope you're the one that's found this room," he begins. "If you're hearing this, then that can only mean the gentlemen who are after my soul have finally managed to capture me. So listen closely…"

"This is it."

"It all started when a mysterious man started buying shares of my company…"

Seto narrows his eyes."Hold on. I got dragged into all this mess when someone tried to buy up my company as well."

"His name…is Dartz. He plans to use my game to destroy civilization. Ever since my retirement began, I started doing more research on the origins of Duel Monsters. That's when I came upon the astonishing discovery that these creatures existed way before the pyramids were ever built…"

"In the city of Atlantis," Yami says, already knowing from their conversation with Professor Hawkins.

"And that is where this Dartz character comes in. He's trying to resurrect the most terrifying beast to ever roam the Earth. The Great Leviathan. By draining the souls of man and beast in order to build the strength of this unstoppable monster." He lowers his head and sighs. "Those poor creatures. Soon they'll be gone along with the rest of the world. Only you can save humanity!"

The hologram disappears, leaving them to digest all of the information he has just given them.

"I don't believe in any of this magical stuff one bit," Seto says, folding his arms. "This is all apart of Pegasus' plan to take control of my company!"

"That's enough Kaiba!" Yami shoots back. "It's not always about you. There's a bigger force at work here and you know it." He takes the Eye of Timaeus card out of his deck to Kaiba's surprise and Joey follows along, revealing his Fang of Hermos card as well. "You have one of these cards, don't you Kaiba."

Kaiba growls and reluctantly takes out The Fang of Critias. All three cards begin to glow after being in close proximity with each other.

"Yup. Definitely no magic going on here," Duke says sarcastically.

"I was told that fate had chosen three modern day warriors to release these beasts," says Yami and Seto scoffs.

"Get real. I'm the only one that decides my fate! Not some mythical fairytale about monsters and dragons."

"Be reasonable for once. The world needs us. We must do this as a team."

"Sorry. I don't do the teamwork thing. You geeks have wasted my time long enough. I have a multi-million dollar company to run," he says and he turns to leave as Mokuba follows.

"Now what?" Tristan asks after their failed attempt at recruiting Kaiba.

"Professor Hawkins," Yami says. "He said he was going to look more into this and research the Orichalcos."

"Good call!" Teá agrees. "Maybe he'll have some new information!"

"Then it's settled. To Professor Hawkins!" Joey exclaims.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Whew. That was doozy. I probably won't delve too much deeper into too many duels since I'd like to get more into Cairo's back story a little bit. But I wanted to lay the foundation of the Orichalcos at least. The next chapters will be more centered around Cairo and the pharaoh's past.

Please review!


	7. To Death Valley

_"__I already told you, the Mai you knew is gone!"_

Those words Mai spoke really shook Joey to his core. He looks down and clenches his fists as his hair blows through the wind as they take a ride in Duke's green convertible on their way to see Professor Hawkins. Tristan and Yami sit on either side of him while Teá and Cairo squeeze on the long seat in front. Yami looks at Joey, seeing that he is still in a great mount of distress from his duel with Mai.

"Joey…"

"I never knew Mai was so unhappy," he says. "I knew she wanted to be the best, but I never thought she would do this."

"Indeed. She's taken things way too far."

"Not to defend her or anything, but being in the Shadow Realm, even if for a short period of time can be pretty traumatic," Cairo says shyly, twiddling her fingers and looking down at them.

"Yeah, but you turned out just fine," Tristan says.

"I've had nearly 5,000 years to adjust," she replies.

Tristan blushes and rubs the back of his head. "Yeah…good point. Sorry."

"But joining an evil plot to destroy civilization? I just don't understand," Joey says, narrowing his eyes.

Cairo slouches over in her seat and rubs her temples, feeling a little overwhelmed. She only came here for one thing and one thing only. To retrieve the escaped souls and to return to the Shadow Realm. But she feels herself slowly getting wrapped up within the current crisis going on with the Seal of Orichalcos. She groans and closes her eyes to try and drain out all of the current distractions. Where could those other souls possibly be?

Tristan leans over Teá's shoulder as she looks down at the map. She rolls her eyes as she feels him lingering over her shoulder.

"Can I help you?" she asks, growing agitated with each passing moment that he is hovering over her.

"Are you sure you're reading that map right?" he asks before pointing to it. "Why can't we just take that blue line there?"

Teá sighs heavily in annoyance. "Yeah, if we had a boat!" she snaps and Duke laughs as Tristan sits back with embarrassment. "Blue lines are for water!"

"I knew that…"

Cairo's eyes fly open after moments of concentrating. She has found what she believes to be one of the souls she is looking for. And they are heading in that direction. Only thing is, she needs to get there quick.

"Can this thing go faster?" she asks.

"What's up Cairo?" Joey asks as she takes off her seatbelt and stands up on her seat to everyone's surprise.

"H-Hey! You can't do that while we're moving!" Duke says frantically, trying to keep his eyes on the road while simultaneously making sure she doesn't fall out.

"Cairo, what's wrong?" Yami asks, sensing her sudden urgency.

"Gotta get there quick." She ascends into the air and quickly flies off.

"Uh…what in the world just happened?" Duke asks, blinking a few times.

"She's headed off in the same direction we're going," Teá points out. "You don't think the Professor is in trouble do you?"

"Let's hope not," Yami replies.

"Step on it Duke!"

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Professor Hawkins sits at his desk in his laboratory, examining the pictures he took from his excursion. He uses a magnifying glass to look at them in more detail. After hours of research, he sighs heavily with frustration. Although he's made some discoveries, there is one image of a monster with a giant eye that still stumps him. But even after researching in countless books, he's still at a dead end.

Outside, Rebecca rides on her white horse after getting groceries. Her grandfather's lab is located in the middle of a field and they also have a trailer in which they reside in from time to time. Her horse kicks up its hooves and nays and she holds onto the reigns.

"Whoa there Capernicus! Did I load too many groceries on you?" she asks with a chuckle. The wind begins to pick up and she looks up to see a helicopter flying overhead. "Strange…I don't think grandpa is expecting any company today."

A ladder lowers from the helicopter and a few men wearing helmets descend onto the lab, crashing through its glass ceiling. It isn't long until they come back outside holding her grandfather captive to her shock.

"Grandpa!" she cries and she kicks her heels to signal her horse to go.

"Let go of me!" Professor Hawkins demands as he tries to break free from their grasp.

"Leave my grandpa alone!" When she gets a closer distance, she hops off her horse and runs toward the masked men in an attempt to stop them. One of them lifts up a metal pipe to Professor's Hawkins' horror and they prepare to strike Rebecca with it.

"No! Rebecca!"

She stops and closes her eyes as she hears the pipe shatter against something that sounds like a rock. Fragments of metal fly everywhere and land on the ground. Slowly opening her eyes and uncovering her face, she is surprised to see a girl about her age standing in front of her. Her spiky, black hair flows through the wind and her eyes are narrowed yet calm.

"W-Who are you?" Rebecca asks.

"Out of the way kid! The professor is coming with us!"

Two more figures drop down from the helicopter and stand in front of her. They both take off their helmets, revealing a woman with her haired tied back and a man with red hair. "Take the professor," the woman commands one of the henchmen. "Hasani and I will take care of the brat." Cairo arches an eyebrow. Those two individuals definitely contain the souls that she sensed earlier.

"Found some bodies to inhabit I see," Cairo says.

"Grandpa!" Rebecca yells as she sees two men carrying him up the ladder and the helicopter begins to depart from their location. Cairo glances up and leaps into the air to try and catch them, only for her ankle to be grabbed and her body slammed to the ground.

"You're not going anywhere," Hasani says, grinning down at her as she stands to her feet.

"Bring me my grandpa back!" Rebecca yells.

"No can do, kid." He takes out a switch out of his pocket and presses the button. On cue, the entire laboratory goes up in flames, blowing Cairo and Rebecca back a few feet. She grunts and slowly lifts up her head, gasping at the sight of her grandfather's lab being blown to bits.

"No!"

"This ends here." Cairo stands to her feet and her black wand materializes in her hand. "Time to go back to the shadows."

"You first," Nubia shoots back and she rushes at Cairo, aiming multiple kicks and punches to which Cairo dodges with ease. She quickly whips around her swipes Nubia with her wand and then she quickly does the same to Hasani who tries to go for a sneak attack.

Duke finally pulls up to the scene with the others and they all look in shock when they see that the lab is up in flames.

"What happened here?" Tristan asks as they all get out of the car.

"Some goons took my grandpa!" Rebecca yells as she runs over to them.

"Say what?!" Joey exclaims.

"Don't worry. We'll get him back," Yami assures her.

"Hey guys! Who's that over there with Cairo?" Teá points out as Cairo stands over the two people with her wand pointed down at them.

"What did you do with the old man?" Cairo asks as her wand begins to glow.

Hasani grins. "Look at you trying to be a good guy."

"Someone must be feeling guilty for all of the wrong she's done," Nubia taunts.

"Enough," Cairo says, narrowing her eyes. "This has gone on for far too long."

"I agree," Nubia says, outstretching her hand and an electrical force emits from it, shocking Cairo and sending her flying back and landing on the ground with a thud.

"Oh no!" Teá yells.

"Hey Cairo! You alright?" Tristan calls out and she slowly stands up to her feet and wipes her mouth. Since when did they have any special abilities, she asks herself. It's definitely something they didn't have in their past life or in the Shadow Realm. So where did it come from?

As she regains her composure, Hasani catches her off guard once again by quickly running up to her and grabbing her by the neck and lifting her up into the air. Their strength and abilities are something Cairo really didn't expect.

"Let her go!" Yami yells.

"Oh but pharaoh…" Nubia smirks and faces his direction. "Consider this a huge favor. You see, this girl is not who you think she is. She's no hero. In fact, she is pure evil."

"I don't believe a word you crooks are sayin'!" Joey retorts.

Cairo uses this moment of distraction to knee Hasani in the stomach, causing him to double over. Nubia tries to land another electrical attack, but Cairo dodges and sends a magical blast toward both them, blowing them at a farther distance. She is about to move forward, but she grimaces after feeling a sharp pain in her side. She places a hand there and looks down, gritting her teeth. Nubia's earlier attack really caught her off guard.

"We'll be back!" Nubia yells, raising an Orichalcos stone into the air.

"And next time, we'll finish you for good!" Hasani adds before they're blinded by a bright green light.

"They're getting away!" Joey growls as he covers his eyes. And sure enough, when the light has finally faded, they are nowhere to be found.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

A tea kettle whistles loudly on a hot stove and Teá walks over to turn it off. They all sit inside the trailer at the table, going over what happened today. From being chased down by biker thugs, an old friend turning to the dark side and now the professor's kidnapping, it has been a very long day to say the least.

"I still don't get it," Teá says. "Who would kidnap the professor?"

"It had to be Dartz! Or his gang of thugs anyway," Joey concludes.

"Why? I mean the guy's just an archaeologist," Tristan says with a shrug.

Duke frowns. "But didn't you guys say that he made some big discovery?

"Yeah, he found Atlants," Yugi says and Rebecca lowers her eyes, feeling very upset about her grandfather's kidnapping.

"So now what?" Teá asks.

"Easy. We find where this guy is, bust in and get the professor back!" Duke replies, making it sound so simple.

Rebecca stands up in her seat. "But how do we even begin to find out where he is? It's not like they'd be listed in a phone book!"

Yugi nods in agreement. "She's right."

Joey groans loudly and holds his head. The thought of having to figure out where Dartz is seems like an impossible task. "Great. So we just sit around and wait for a sign?"

"Well if we stay here, I gotta eat," Tristan says. "I can't wait on an empty stomach."

"Good idea! I'll whip something up."

"I'm not eating anything you cook," Teá says folding her arms. "Just leave it to me."

Yugi looks over at Rebecca while everyone chatters about. He can tell that she is very upset. "Don't worry Rebecca. We'll get him back. I promise." She nods.

He then looks out the window. Cairo stands outside at a further distance holding her wand in her hand, her head lifted toward the night sky.

'Yugi,' Yami says in his head.

'What's up pharaoh?'

'I'd like to talk to Cairo if you don't mind.'

Yugi shakes his head. 'No, not at all.'

Before he walks out, he is stopped by Rebecca who looks down at her feet as Téa and the others go back and forth with each other about the food. "What is it, Rebecca?" Yugi asks.

She takes out a note in her pocket and hands it over to Yugi discreetly. "Those thugs who took my grandpa gave me this," she says. Yugi gasps. It is a note from Rafael instructing him to meet at Death Valley in order to save Rebecca's grandfather.

"How far is Death Valley?"

"If we take Duke's car it won't take long."

Yugi shakes his head. "I have to do this alone."

"But why?"

"I don't wanna put anyone else's lives at stake. Besides, it's me he wants," he replies. "So please, don't tell anyone where I'm going okay?"

"But Yugi…" He has really put her in a tough spot. She looks back to Joey and the rest of the gang who are unaware of their interaction and she sighs, her heart beating quickly with worry for Yugi's well being.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Cairo clenches her wand, feeling a great amount of anger boiling inside of her. How could she let them get away? How could she let them catch her off guard like that? What a rookie mistake. But the question lingers as to how they even got those powers to begin with. She begins to think that there is a possibility that Dartz has something to do with it. With everything that is going on, it seems like the only logical explanation.

Hearing footsteps behind her she quickly whips around, holding out her wand, but quickly lowers it when she sees the pharaoh standing there.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," he says approaching her. She shakes her head. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Those two really just caught me off guard back there. But it won't happen again."

"It seems you were shocked that the souls you were after have powers. Did they not have them before?"

Cairo shakes her head. "I suspect Dartz may have something to do with that."

There is silence between them as they both look up into the moon. It is now late into the evening and everyone has gone off to sleep. Cairo suddenly feels a great amount of dread. It's clear that Nubia and Hasani have some sort of intention of telling the pharaoh about her history. _"She's no hero. In fact, she's pure evil," _are the words that go through her mind. There is no way that she is going to let someone else to tell her truth. But fear plagued her. What would he think of her if he knew the truth?

She sighs. "I know there's some questions that you're wanting to ask me," she begins, facing him and he does the same. She lowers her eyes and bites her lower lip, going back and forth with herself. Yami can sense that she has something important to reveal, but he can also sense her hesitation at the same time. Her body is tense and her head is low.

"It's alright," he says to her surprise and her head shoots up. "You can tell me when you're ready."

In that instant, she feels a wave of relief overcome her. The pressure that was building up inside her has ceased. For now.

They both turn back to look at the moon as a cool breeze blows. "I'm sorry…"

"Hm? What for?"

"I let those guys get away and couldn't save her grandfather. I shouldn't have let my guard down like that."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," he says, placing a hand on her shoulder and she looks up at him. "I'm going to get him back."

"But do you even know where they're keeping him?" she asks.

"I do." he replies as he walks over to Capernicus, hopping on top and grabbing it by the reigns. Seeing him on that horse is so reminiscent of her past. For a brief moment, his current wardrobe morphs into the long blue cape, tank and other royal clothing that he dawned everyday 5,000 years ago. She shakes her head to snap back to reality.

"Will you tell your friends about your whereabouts?"

He shakes his head. "I don't want to put anyone else in harm's way."

Cairo slowly levitates up to meet his eye level. "Well I can handle myself. So I'm coming too. Besides, I'm sure those souls I'm after will be there too."

"Very well."

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Joey snores loudly as he sits on the floor, leaning up against one of the appliances in the kitchen covered by a light blanket. As he nods further off, his head suddenly drops, bringing the rest of his body along with it and he plops on the floor. His head shoots up, startled by the sudden motion and he looks around. Tristan and Duke are sound asleep, but one girl in particular isn't.

"Couldn't sleep either, huh?" Joey asks. He looks around once more, noticing that Yugi is nowhere to be seen. "Where's Yugi?"

Rebecca looks away. "I…I promised not to tell." But she can't hold it in for much longer, feeling an immense amount of guilt for letting Yugi travel alone, so she finally informs Joey of his whereabouts. His reaction is just as she feared, as he scolds her, waking everyone else up in the trailer as they gather around the table to figure out the next move.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Joey exclaims as Teá places an arm around Rebecca who has her head lowered in shame.

"Don't be so hard on her Joey," Téa says. "You would've done the same thing."

"No, we would've talked some sense into him!" Tristan replies.

Teá frowns. "It looks like Cairo is gone too. I wonder if she is with him."

Joey growls in frustration. "I'm coming Yugi!" he yells as he runs out the door.

"Wait up man!" Duke calls after him as he and Tristan follow close behind, taking his car.

"Step on it Duke!" Joey commands as they drive quickly down the road. He has made Yugi a promise to help him fight this evil force and he doesn't intend on breaking it.

YGOYGOYGOYGO

All done with this chapter. Please review!


	8. A Terrible Loss

Cairo flies alongside Yami as they head to Death Valley. In a note by Rafael, it threatens that they will never see the professor again unless Yami meets up with him to duel. The sun slowly begins to rise as they get closer and closer to their destination. Cairo squints her eyes when she sees a metal object up ahead.

"What is that?" she asks, bringing Yami's attention to it as well.

"It appears to be some sort of container," he guesses as they stop in front of it. It is at an odd location for something that looked like it belonged on the back of a semi-truck. He hops off the horse and they stand side by side.

"I sense that somebody is inside."

Yami's eyes widen. "Perhaps it's the professor!" They approach the doors of the container with caution, with Yami leading. There is a lock on it, but Cairo uses her hand to swipe it, breaking the lock with ease and Yami opens the door. On the floor lays none other than the Professor. "Professor Hawkins!"

He slowly lifts his head as Yami runs up to him and helps him up. He appears to be weak, but otherwise okay. "Yugi…"

"Don't worry. We're going to get you back home."

"Oh no you don't!" a voice yells at the entrance and they all turn around to see Nubia. Cairo narrows her eyes and her wand materializes in her hand.

"This time you won't get away," Cairo says, activating her wand and blowing Nubia back with enormous force. She chases after Nubia as Yami helps the professor out of the container and leading him over to the horse as a battle ensues in the background.

"Take the horse back to the trailer," Yami instructs as the professor sits on top of the horse, slouched over slightly.

"But what about you?" he asks.

"I won't be far behind. Now go," Yami assures him and the professor nods, riding off to safety.

Nubia hits the ground hard after a powerful blow from Cairo who lands gracefully on her feet. Nubia holds on to her face, grimacing from the pain and she slowly sits up, growling in frustration. Clearly Dartz has underestimated this girl's strength. The power that he had given to her and Hasani were no match for Cairo's abilities.

"Time to go," Cairo says, slowly approaching her with her wand pointed at her.

"What are you trying to prove?" Nubia asks in between breaths, wiping the blood off her lip. Cairo arches an eyebrow as Yami walks up to stand beside her. "No matter how hard you try, your place will always be with us…in the Shadow Realm...for all eternity."

"I've already accepted my fate. Years ago. I know that nothing will change," Cairo says, narrowing her eyes. "I'm only doing my duty and that is to send you back to where you belong." Yami looks over to Cairo. Questions still arise as to what she did that caused her to be in this current position. How can someone who appeared to be so good be banished to the Shadow Realm forever? She certainly didn't seem bad to him.

Nubia's eyes scroll over to the pharaoh who looks down at her and she grins. "You better watch your back, pharaoh. She's not who you think she is."

"That's enough," Yami shoots back.

She chuckles. "Suit yourself, pharaoh. There are more of us inhabiting this world. Kul Elna will get our revenge!" Her chuckles soon morph into full blown laughter until Cairo slams a fist into her chest, extracting the soul out of the body and using her wand to open a portal to send her back to the Shadow Realm.

Yami slowly looks down to Cairo's hand that clenches her wand at her side. It shakes slightly with anger and her shoulders are tense. "Cairo…"

"Pharaoh," she turns to him abruptly, her eyes narrowed. The time is now. "There's something I need to tell you. I—"

"So you actually managed to set the old man free," comes a familiar voice and they turn to see Rafael standing across from them, separated by an old wooden bridge.

"It's you," Yami says, taking a step forward to the entrance of the bridge.

"We destroyed his lab and we warned him against any more research. And now he has led you here so I can finally take your soul," Rafael says, readying his duel disk.

"You're going to pay for all the trouble you've caused."

Cairo lowers her eyes. It looks like revealing her truth to the pharaoh would have to wait. But she feels some relief knowing that Rafael knows nothing about her. Or so she thinks.

"I need to capture the soul of the pharaoh himself..." Rafael says as Yami crosses the bridge. "…So that I can save the world."

Yami closes his eyes with a smirk. "Save the world?" he repeats before his gaze turns more serious. "Don't you see? What you're doing is going to _destroy_ the world! Or are you so insane that you can't tell the difference?"

"I'm fine. It's you that's blind to what's going on. You're fighting on the wrong side!"

"Explain yourself!"

"This world is a dark and lonely place to live. It's been poisoned by mankind. All I'm trying to do is fix what's been ruined by people like you. And I'll do it by locking your spirit away for good."

"Who do you think you are?" Yami asks lowly.

"Look. The name's Rafael and I called you here to duel, not chat. And I have no intention on putting our fight off for another minute. Now let's go!"

The sun begins to rise as Yami stares him down. "Very well then. But know this. In the end, righteousness will prevail and justice will be served!"

Cairo squints her eyes in suspicion, folding her arms and observing the man known as Rafael as the duel begins. She feels a weird energy coming from him, but can't quite pinpoint what it is. And apparently Yami can feel it too as he looks at Rafael with the same gaze..

'Something seems different about this guy,' Yugi communicates in their head.

'I agree Yugi.'

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Duke's car races down a dirt path surrounded by high cliffs. Tristan grunts as he looks at the map in frustration. "I think this map is all wrong, guys," he says. "I don't see a bridge anywhere."

"Then why don't you try looking ahead?" Joey says, seeing the exact bridge fast approaching. It is an old rickety bridge and it doesn't appear to be very steady. But that doesn't stop Duke from driving over it. The more they progress, the wobblier the bridge becomes.

"Uh…I don't think this bridge was meant for automobiles," Tristan comments.

Joey looks back and a chill goes down his spine when he sees the wooden planks of the bridge behind them starting to fall from all the weight, dropping hundreds of feet below. "Gah! Step on it Duke!" he yells and Duke stomps down on the gas. More and more of the bridge begins to fall until it is right on their tail. Duke clenches his wheel and leans forward slightly, going as fast as he can until they finally make it all the way across just in time.

Joey breathes a sigh of relief and leans back in his chair. But not before saying a snide remark. "Real smooth, Duke."

"DON'T MAKE ME TURN THIS CAR AROUND!" Duke snaps.

Meanwhile, back at the trailer, Téa and Rebecca sit outside to get some fresh air while they wait on the others to return.

"I'm still confused about one thing Téa. It's about something my gramps said back at the museum," Rebecca begins as a calm breeze blows through her hair. "He said there were two Yugi's."

Téa chuckles. "Well not exactly. See there's really one Yugi. But he sorta has this other side to him. You know it's like a tougher, more confident Yugi."

"Well I like his sweet and charming side. I'll never forget the day we met," she reminisces, thinking back to a time where she and him dueled each other. After he forfeited the duel in a nice gesture to her, he gave her a card which she has cherished to this day. "I never met anyone as nice as Yugi. But I suppose he needs the tougher side of his personality also. That's why he always wins! When they work together, there's nothing that can stop them!" she exclaims confidently with a smile.

Téa nods in agreement. "Yeah. I bet they're beating the pants off that biker creep right now!"

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

"I summon Dark Magician Girl!" Yami commands and the blonde haired magician appears in front of him with a determined look on her face. Rafael has proven to be a tough foe as Yami seems to be struggling during this duel. But he is determined to win no matter what.

"She's too weak!" Rafael points out. "Do the math. She's no match against my guardian!"

"Not when I fuse her with my dragon, Timaeus!" The legendary dragon appears and soon, Dark Magician Girl's normal clothing changes into knight's clothing, complete with a sword and shield.

"Well done," Cairo whispers, witnessing the duel from a further distance. As she watches the Dark Magician Girl in action, she sighs, remembering a certain someone from her past that was the first vessel to the Dark Magician Girl. She also happened to betray that certain someone as well. She wonders if the spirit that she betrayed is within the Dark Magician Girl floating in front of her now. It seems that being in this current world will constantly give her certain reminders of her past, good and bad.

"The world was once a beautiful place with a wonderful leader," Rafael tells Yami, referring to Dartz as their duel continues.

Yami growls in frustration. "I'm telling you…You've been brainwashed!"

"Take a look around!" Rafael says, referring the rocky surface that they are standing on now with no signs of life anywhere. "If things continue the way they are, everything is going to turn out like this desert. And I won't let that happen. I'll see to it that justice is served. And you're gonna help me." He lets out an evil chuckle before continuing. "You see pharaoh, after 5,000 years your spirit _did_ come back to save the world…by surrendering your soul."

Yami's eyes widen with both disbelief and uncertainty. "No…that's a lie!" With him not knowing a thing about his past, a part of him couldn't help but feel a little bit of doubt.

Cairo narrows her eyes. "That's not true!" Cairo shouts with anger. How dare Rafael try to take advantage of the pharaoh not having any memory of his past like that?

Yami looks back at her, feeling a bit relieved that she spoke up for him in that moment of uncertainty. "Cairo…"

"No one asked the peanut gallery," Rafael says. "Any more lip from you and I'll reveal your dark past little girl," he threatens to which she raises an eyebrow. How does he know anything about her past? That is, unless, Nubia and Hasani have revealed it to him.

"Enough! I'm sick of hearing you trying to justify your evil plan!" Yami shoots back.

"It's not my plan. I'm simply carrying out the wishes of my master."

"Just who is this master of yours, Rafael?"

"Well for starters he was a better leader than you were," Rafael begins. "That's right pharaoh. My master told me all about your history. How you ruled as an evil dictator using the power of the Shadow Realm to control your subjects."

"Wake up. He lied!"

"How would you know? You have no memory of your past," Rafael points out. "So isn't it possible that you're responsible for the destruction of Egypt?"

"No…I know I was a worthy pharaoh," Yami says to himself, beginning to doubt himself once more. "I'm the one who locked the evil away!" he remembers from a past conversation he had.

Rafael grins. "So you believe. Your heart is dark." He looks over to Cairo and chuckles. "And apparently the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Yami narrows his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"I activate this magic card," Rafael says, continuing on with the duel and ignoring the pharaoh's question. "It's called 'Exchange.'"

"What are you up to?"

"Since we both only have one card left, we switch cards," he reveals, and they both walk up to each other to do the exchange. After switching cards with each other, Rafael laughs.

Yami looks at him with suspicion as he walks back to his position. "What are you laughing about?" he asks before laying eyes on the card in his hand. He gasps with horror when he sees that it is none other than the Seal of Orichalcos. "No…Not this card."

"Of course you don't have to play it, pharaoh," Rafael says with a smirk. "But I have a feeling you will. So go ahead and make your next move."

Yami grunts in frustration. Rafael has really put him in a tough spot. He has the upper hand in the duel currently and Yami does not like to lose. He looks down at the card and goes over his options. Yugi appears next him. 'Whatever you do, you cannot play that card!'

'Yes but—'

'But nothing! That card is evil! Don't play it!' Yugi reminds him.

'I understand Yugi…but it could be our only way in winning this duel.'

'No! Please…'

One of Rafael's monsters land a blow, leaving Yami almost totally defenseless, causing Yami to grow even more agitated. After drawing more cards in his deck, there is nothing that he can do to defeat Rafael…except one card in particular. His hand shakes a little as he place a hand on the evil card and he raises it up into the air, preparing to play it.

'Pharaoh, no!' Yugi intervenes, trying to hold him back.

Yami narrows his eyes. 'Let go.'

'No! You don't know what you're doing!'

'LET GO!' Yami yells, becoming increasingly agitated that Yugi is interfering.

'Listen to me!' Yugi pleads, holding onto Yami's arm even tighter to prevent him from playing the card. 'This card is affecting your mind!'

'We're going to lose the duel! Can't you see?! It's the only way Yugi. We must do this. Now let me go,' Yami says, snatching his arm away and Yugi watches helplessly.

'Please…don't play that card.'

But it's no use as Yami finally activates the card. "I play the Seal of Orichalcos!"

Rafael grins. "Excellent." He has played right into his plan.

Cairo gasps in disbelief and her heart drops into her stomach. "Father, no!" she cries, outstretching her hand as the seal appears around the two duelist, as well as the pharaoh's forehead. She couldn't believe what she is seeing right now. She never would have thought he would resort to this. Admittedly, after he played the card, he starting to get the upper hand on Rafael. But the fact that it all come down to this depressed Cairo.

At the same time as this happening, Joey and the others finally pull up and run up to join Cairo. "Hey! What's happening?" Joey asks her, but she stays silent. When he finally gets a good look, he gasps in shock. "What's going on? Why's that Orichalcos thing on Yugi's forehead?"

"He got it from that guy and activated it," Cairo finally says.

"No…Yugi wouldn't do that. He knows that card is evil!"

"But it looks like the duel is going in his favor," Tristan points out as the duel goes on. Rafael is down to his last 100 life points while Yami has 600. "One more blow and that guy's toast!" Normally, Joey would be just as excited as Tristan is. But the question still arises as to why Yugi is playing the card. Let alone, his dueling style has seemed to change as well. As it continues, Yami is constantly boasting about power and sacrificing his monsters left and right—something that is totally unlike him. Cairo couldn't help but feel the same way. The pharaoh…or father she knew would never brag about power.

Yugi watches the duel from the sidelines within the puzzle as tears stream down his face. Immediately after he summoned the Seal, things started to turn around. But the pharaoh's dueling style has drastically changed and it seems at times he isn't thinking straight. Now, as they're both down to their last few life points, it seems that Rafael has one final trick up his sleeve. 'How could he do this?' Yugi asks himself, sensing the end is near. 'That card is evil! I warned him.'

"Your thirst for power destroyed very valuable monsters in your deck. Only someone evil would do such a thing," Rafael says. "Now, I summon Guardian Iatos!" A feminine figure wearing native clothing and wings on her back appears. She also holds a long sword in her hand. "And with this magic card in my hand, I can use the power from the monsters in your graveyard to fuel my own, giving my guardian a total of 10,000 life points."

"No…" Yami says, knowing that the end for him is near. "What have I done…" The feeling of guilt begins to overcome as he slowly starts to accept his fate. He had surrendered to an evil force, despite Yugi's warnings, and for that he will lose his soul.

"You've set a mighty fine example for your daughter back there," he reveals with a smirk and Yami gasps.

"My…daughter?" he repeats, slowly turning his head to Cairo whose eyes are lowered to the ground in disappointment.

"Wait, what is he talking about?" Joey asks before looking down at Cairo in confusion.

"Attack him and the rest of his life points!" Rafael commands and his guardian obeys, swiping down her sword, causing a bright light and gust of wind as Yami's life points go down to zero.

"NOOOO!" Yami screams, as the wind from the monster's powerful attack blows him back.

"No way! Yugi lost!" Duke says with surprise.

'No…He lost the duel,' Yugi says looking on. 'That means he loses his soul.'

As the smoke clears, Rafael approaches Yami who is slouched over, his eyes lifeless as the seal begins to do its work. "You only have yourself to blame."

Cairo clenches her fists at her sides, trying to hold back the tears. This couldn't be happening. This isn't how things are supposed to go. But what can she do? She isn't even supposed to be interacting with the pharaoh, let alone helping out with the current events. She shuts her eyes and grits her teeth. "No…" She can feel an immense amount of energy building within her and her eyes open wide. "NO!" she yells as a dark aura appears around her. Slowly, her lifeless body begins to fall as her soul leaves her body and rushes toward Yami.

"Whoa! Cairo!" Tristan yells as they rush to her side.

"What happened?!" Joey asks.

Duke shakes her a little, but she doesn't respond.

"Cairo! Cairo, wake up!"

_Cairo yelps as she falls within a dark empty room. She gets up on her hands and knees and looks around before quickly holding onto her arms. It is nearly pitch black and cold. "It's freezing…" She finally stands up and walks over to a nearby door, opening it cautiously. Her eyes widen when she is surrounded by even more doors within what seems like a maze. Each door has the same symbol as her crown and the Millennium Puzzle. That's when it hits her as to where she is. _

_She walks a few feet, looking left to right, wondering what significance each door has. Her eyes then land on a bright green light further in the distance, resembling the same color of the Orichalcos and she gasps. "I hope I'm not too late!" she yells, sprinting in that direction. _

_"__You sealed your own fate when you played that card," she hears Rafael say from the outside and she runs faster. "Now your soul will awaken the Great Beast."_

_"Not if I can help it!" a familiar voice yells._

_"__Yugi?" she asks as she finally reaches the source of the voice. She watches as he runs toward the middle of the room where Yami stands, awaiting his fate. "I won't let this happen to you pharaoh!"_

_Yami lifts his eyes and gasps when he is suddenly pushed out the way. He turns around quickly to see Yugi standing in his place. "Yugi no! What are you doing here?"_

_Yugi smiles with a hint of sadness. "It only needs one of us…"_

_Cairo's eyes widen. "No…is he gonna do what I think he is?"_

_"…__So I'm letting the seal take me instead," Yugi finishes, as the bright green light begins to make him ascend into the air._

_Yami's heart drops. "NO! YUGI!" he yells as he reaches up and grabs his counterpart's hand in attempt to stop him. He pulls as hard as he can, but the force that is pulling Yugi up is too strong. He gasps in shock when he sees a pair of small hands grab onto Yugi's other hand. "Cairo?!"_

_She grunts as she attempts to help pull Yugi down. Deep down she knows that she should not be interfering with the current events. Her only mission is to help recapture all of the escaped souls and that is it. But for some reason, even with only knowing Yugi and his friends for a short period of time, she feels the need to help and protect them. Her father obviously has a huge bond with them for a reason._

_The wind around them suddenly becomes stronger and more violent, making it harder for them to hold on._

_"__It's okay…" Yugi says reassuringly, knowing what the outcome is going to be. _

_"__No! We've got you!" Yami yells. "Just hang on!"_

_"__It's up to you now, pharaoh," he says, closing his eyes as his hand finally slips out of their grasp and the Seal of Orichalcos finally takes him._

_"__NOOOOO!" Yami cries out as he watches his friend fade away into the darkness. He drops to his knees and punches the floor. "This is all my fault…" _

_Cairo looks on with sorrow and she bows her head. They couldn't save him. "I'm sorry…" she apologizes in a slight whisper. Instantly after saying those words, she feels a huge jolt shoot through her body and she quickly draws in a breath, her gasps echoing throughout the air. Yami lifts his head and his eyes widen with horror when he sees Cairo falling toward the ground._

_"__Cairo!" he yells as he runs over to her. "What's wrong?! Cairo!"_

On the outside, Yami's body collapses and he face plants into the dirt. The wind begins to pick up as a helicopter containing one of the other bikers in it appears. A ladder drops down to pick Rafael up and take him back to Dartz's lair to celebrate the massive victory they have just had. As Rafael begins to crouch down to take the body along with him, Joey quickly runs over and stands protectively in front of the lifeless figure belonging to Yugi and he narrows his eyes.

"Keep it movin' ya punk!"

Rafael laughs. "You can have him. I've already got what I wanted," he says as he grabs hold of the ladder and ascends into the air.

Duke and Tristan join Joey shortly after, with Duke carrying a motionless Cairo on his back. "Come on Yugi!" Joey pleads, looking down at his friend worriedly. "Wake up!"

"Get up man!" Tristan chimes in, clenching his fists.

"Open your eyes!" Duke begs. Finally, after moments pass by, his amethyst eyes finally flutter open to their relief.

"He's awake!" Tristan says happily as Yami sits up.

Joey smirks. "I knew you'd outsmart that dude! So how'd you do it Yugi? How'd you escape?" he asks. But he quickly realizes something is off when he notices what he thinks to be Yugi's body language. His head is low and his eyes are locked into the ground, showing much remorse and guilt. Tears trickle down his face as he thinks about what has just occurred. "Everything alright, pal?"

"No Joey," Yami whimpers. "It's far from alright." He turns away and walks a few feet ahead, his head still low. "I didn't outsmart him. He succeeded…Yugi's gone."

"I don't get it. How can you be talking to us if he took your soul?"

At the moment, a huge wave of emotions hit Yami all at once as he drops to his knees. "Not mine. Yugi's!" he sobs. "It's all my fault! Yugi…come back!" He slams both of his fists into the ground and cries harder. "It should've been me! Not him! It's not fair!"

"Anybody understand what's going on?" Tristan asks and Duke shrugs his shoulders, just as confused as he is.

"I think I get it now," Joey says and they both turn to him. "When we were at the museum, Professor Hawkins and Yugi mentioned that there was a spirit of a pharaoh living inside of Yugi's Millennium Puzzle."

"Oh yeah, you're right," Tristan recalls.

"So if that's true, then the person in front of us isn't Yugi…it's the pharaoh."

"No way…" Duke says. "So Yugi really did lose his soul."

Joey looks down and slowly nods his head. He didn't think they would be standing here right now, mourning the loss of his best friend. A huge part of him feels guilty. Yugi shouldn't have been allowed to go alone to duel Rafael to begin with. Maybe they wouldn't be in this mess or maybe Joey could've somehow helped him more. But he quickly removes those thoughts out of his head. He couldn't stand here and think of the what if's. They have to think about where to go from here.

He slowly walks up to Yami who is still kneeling on the ground, grieving over the loss of his partner. Joey places a hand on his shoulder and Yami uses the back of his sleeve to wipe his tears before looking up at him. "Come on, pharaoh. We need to get back to the trailer and come up with a plan to get Yugi back and save the world."

Yami looks at him briefly and then nods reluctantly. Joey is right. But internally, he is still mourning and beating himself up. They both walk over to Tristan and Duke who are waiting on them by the car.

"You guys, what do we do? Cairo still isn't waking up," Duke says with concern. Yami's eyes land on Cairo is unresponsive and his eyes widen with horror. The last he saw her, she was within the Millennium Puzzle trying to help save Yugi. And then she collapsed and his world went dark.

"Is she going to be alright?" Yami asks, looking at her worriedly.

"Not sure," Tristan replies as Duke places her down on the ground. "When the Seal of Orichalcos was about to take your soul, her body suddenly went limp and she hasn't woken up since!"

Yami suddenly starts to remember what had occurred right before the Seal surrounded him and he holds his head.

_"__...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree..." _Yami remembers Rafael saying._ "You've set a mighty fine example for your daughter back there," he reveals with a smirk._

He gasps in realization and looks down at the girl laying before him. "Cairo's my…"

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

_Cairo lies on the floor, surrounded by nothing but pitch black. She attempts to move, but she has no feeling in her body. The only thing she can move is her eyes, which doesn't do her much good since there appears to be nothing around her. A bright light shines and she squints her eyes._

_"__You were sent to the world of the living for one thing only," comes a godly voice. "And that was to retrieve the escaped souls from the Shadow Realm." Now it all makes sense as to why her body seems to have shut down. It is the work of the gods. _

_"__But the pharaoh…he's—"_

_"__He is of no concern to you," the god interrupts._

_"__But he's my—"_

_"__It does not matter. Retrieve the souls at once. And do not intervene. Understand?"_

_She closes her eyes and sighs. "Understood."_


	9. Where To From Here

Rebecca and Téa sit outside of the trailer waiting for Yugi and the others to return. Earlier as they were patiently waiting, they were surprised to see Rebecca's grandpa riding back on her horse. His clothes were dirty and he seemed very exhausted. They led him inside to his bed where he could rest. As more time had gone by, Rebecca began to suspect that Yugi was led into a trap. How else would her grandpa be able to escape? The suspense was killing her as they both awaited their return.

As she types on her computer, Rebecca looks up when she hears the motor of a car approaching them. She closes her laptop and gets up, smiling when she recognizes Duke's light green convertible speeding toward them. "It's them!" she exclaims with excitement and Téa looks over in the direction that she is looking.

"See, I told you they'd come back soon," Téa says with relief.

Yami's head is lowered as they get close and closer to the trailer. He hears the happy and relieved voices of Téa and Rebecca and his heart drops into his stomach. So many things are going through his mind. The fact that he is the reason why Yugi's soul is locked away is awful enough. His eyes slowly scroll over to Cairo who is leaned up against the car door, unconscious. Has she somehow lost her soul to the Orichalcos as well by interfering? Would that even be possible?

And then there's the bit of information that Rafael revealed just before Yugi lost his soul to the Orichalcos. That Cairo is not only someone from his past, but she happens to be his daughter as well.

The car finally pulls up to its destination and Yami and the others, except Duke and a motionless Cairo, get out of the car.

"So does that mean you won?" Téa asks with a smile.

"Of course he did!" Rebecca says with confidence as she runs over to give him a hug. "My Yugi always wins!" She embraces who she thinks to be Yugi, but something seems different. His body is stiff, his narrowed eyes are in somewhat of a daze and his fists are clenched.

"How'd it go?" Téa asks, running over as well, before tilting her head. "Everything okay?"

Joey looks down and exhales. "Not quite. We've got a problem guys."

Téa turns to him, confused by all of the negative energy. "What do you mean?" Her eyes then land on Cairo and she gasps. "Cairo! Is she alright?"

Tristan looks away and shakes his head. "We don't know."

"What exactly is going on here?"

"Yugi didn't win," Duke replies.

"He's gone," Tristan finishes.

"What?" Téa starts to become even more confused. She looks at the individual with multi-colored, spiky hair and her mind cannot seem to grasp what is going on.

"You heard me," Tristan says lowly. "Yugi got beat, Téa."

She narrows her eyes in disbelief. "You're wrong! If Yugi really lost that duel, those creeps would have taken his soul with their freaky magic card, Tristan!"

"So…What's your point, Téa?" Joey asks.

"My point is, if he lost, then how can he be standing right..." She stops abruptly as she quickly begins to realize what has occurred. She turns to Yami and she gets a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. "…behind me?" She is very familiar with the fact that Yugi and the pharaoh share the same body. And when she looks more closely, she realizes that the person standing in behind her isn't Yugi.

"Yugi? Talk to me," Rebecca presses on. "Why are you acting so strange?"

Yami sighs and looks over at her. "Rebecca. They got him."

"Got who?"

He hesitates before saying his name. "Yugi." His mind flashes back to the events that led up to Yugi losing his soul and he cringes. "I know. This whole thing's my fault. I'm the one that unleashed the magic that took Yugi away."

Rebecca narrows her eyes, feeling hurt and angry at the news that her beloved Yugi is gone. "You knew that card was evil and you still played it?!" she snaps. "If you really were a great pharaoh then you never would've did something like that to poor little Yugi!" Tears begin to fall as she sobs uncontrollably. "This just isn't fair! How could you?! I want my Yugi back! It should've been you! Not him!"

"Now hold on…" Tea intervenes and Rebecca wraps her arms around her, crying into her chest.

"I'm afraid Rebecca is right," Yami admits.

"What's done is done," Joey says, wanting to move on to talking about how they can get his best friend back. Having a pity party isn't going to help.

"I let everyone down. Especially Yugi. He warned me not to play that card…But my rage took control and he paid the price. "

The events keep playing through his head over and over again and Joey begins to become very agitated. He has heard enough. "You gotta snap out of it!"

"He's gone," Yami continues. "And it's my fault."

Joey snatches Yami by the collar to his surprise. "Get a grip, man!" he yells before punching him dead in the face. Yami hits the ground hard, rolling a few times before coming to a stop. "If we're gonna rescue Yugi, we gotta move ahead, not look back! So pull yourself together!" Yami slowly sits up and wipes the trickle of blood off his mouth. "What we gotta do is figure out who this Dartz guy is and where he keeps all these souls!"

"I've been suggesting that this whole time, but no one ever listens to me," Duke mutters and Tristan side eyes him before putting him in a headlock.

"No one needs your sly commentary right now, Duke!" Tristan yells.

"Down boy. Heel!"

"Let him go, Tristan," Yami says standing up to his feet. "This happened because I couldn't control my anger. And if we continue to fight amongst ourselves, the Orichalcos will destroy us."

Cairo groans and her eyes flutter open. Initially her vision is blurry, but after blinking a few more times and shaking her head, everything comes into focus. She holds her head and squints her eyes, the light from the sun too overpowering for her at the current moment. "Where am I?" she asks hoarsely and Duke quickly turns around.

"Hey you guys! Cairo is up!" he informs everyone and they all look to the car.

"We thought you were a goner," Tristan says. She glances up at Yami, seeing the pain and anguish on his face. It looks like they really were unsuccessful in saving Yugi. Not to mention she has gotten into a lot of trouble with the gods for interfering. She hops out of the car and straightens out her clothing and the crown on her head.

"Well the important thing is that you're alright," Téa says.

An idea suddenly pops into Tristan's head and he rushes over to Cairo to her surprise. "I just thought of something!" he says excitedly.

"Um…what?" Cairo asks hesitantly.

"Careful. Too much thinking and your head will explode," Joey says slyly, earning a glare from Tristan.

"Maybe Cairo can bring Yugi back!" Tristan suggests.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Téa asks.

"If I remember correctly, Cairo is a soul keeper!"

"A soul what now?" Duke asks raising an eyebrow. He is still not used to the fact that this little girl is capable of such things.

"So if that's the case, maybe she can use her abilities to bring Yugi back!"

"Oh! Good point!" Téa agrees as all eyes turn to Cairo who sighs.

"Unfortunately, I can't do that," she replies to everyone's disappointment.

"Huh? Why not?" Tristan asks, beginning to get a little frustrated. He has seen her send souls to the Shadow Realm, among other things that a normal person can't do. Why couldn't she bring Yugi back. "You mean to tell me you have all those powers and you can't do it?"

Téa scoffs at him and Joey jabs him in the shoulder. "Cut it out, man! I'm sure she has a good reason. We're just gonna have to find another way. And that's by finding Dartz."

"But she hasn't even told us why!" Tristan presses on. "I think she's holding out on us."

"Tristan," Yami says in a warning tone. He is going too far.

"Maybe she really isn't out to help us at all. She's just here to collect her souls and go about her way. Who's to say she's not just as bad as them? One of those guys did say she was evil. And—" Before he can go on, Téa swiftly slaps him across the face, having heard enough.

"Just stop it Tristan! Cairo has been a big help to us! Don't forget, if it weren't for her, those thugs would have caught us when they were chasing us down in the limo!"

Cairo looks down to the ground as she begins to walk away while Téa and Tristan bicker back and forth with each other. Yami seems to be the only aware that she is walking away and he frowns. "Cairo…"

She heads over to the opposite side of the trailer, separating herself from the group and she leans on it, folding her arms and thinking about her next move. She can't help but admit that apart of her is hurt by Tristan's words. But it's her own fault, she says to herself. She has allowed herself to get sucked in to their current crisis when she should have been focusing on one thing and one thing only.

From a further distance, Hasani peeks from behind a rock with narrowed eyes. He is surprised to see that the pharaoh is still standing despite his duel with Rafael. But it is apparent that Rafael has captured the wrong soul. He grits his teeth, anger filling him at the very sight of the person he wishes to take revenge on. They have gotten rid of Nubia with ease, but he vows not to let that happen to him. Not before he takes his revenge. And he isn't sure that he can wait around much longer for Dartz's minions to finish the job.

After everything has finally calmed down, they all sit inside the trailer to plan what to do next. Téa, Yami, Duke and Tristan sit at the table while Joey stands up near the kitchen counter.

"So they wanna rule the world. We've dealt with something like that before," Joey says casually.

Yami folds his arms and looks down with thought. "No, Joey. This time things are different."

"Yeah they're not just talking about wiping out all life on Earth," Tristan adds. "They're actually doing it."

"Well we know how to stop them," Joey says with determination and confidence in his eyes. "We've gotta go straight to the source. And destroy that secret weapon of theirs."

Téa gasps in realization. "You mean that giant eyeball monster that was in the sky?"

"And it's not just using monsters. It's using human souls to power up to wipe out the rest of us," says Tristan.

"Yeah and right now that thing's got Yugi. And I don't know about you, but I'm not gonna stand here and twiddle my thumbs. I'm gonna take action!" Joey exclaims.

Téa stands up and narrows her eyes, feeling like Joey is trying to rush into things with no plan. "Look Joey. I want to save Yugi too, but we can't do this by ourselves! We need help!"

"Well since they burned down my grandfather's laboratory, we have no evidence. Which means no one will believe our story," Rebecca says typing a few things on her laptop.

"We do have evidence! It's in those underwater ruins!"

Rebecca stands up and brings the laptop over to show them what she has found. "Well whatever was there isn't gonna help us now. Because someone has ruined the ruins. It's gone."

"They're one step ahead of us," Duke says as they look at the article Rebecca has pulled up.

One of the doors open in the trailer, revealing a healthy looking Professor Hawkins. "Don't give up yet."

"Grandpa, you're awake!" Rebecca says with relief, happy that he is looking in better shape.

"Take it easy," Téa advises. "You really should be resting."

"I'll be fine," he assures. "But I suspect they're trying to hide something."

"Makes sense," Duke agrees. "Why else would they destroy what's left of their city?"

"From what I translated from those ruins during my research, it seems this power hungry king drew his evil strength from this mysterious stone. And this stone drew its strength from another world."

"It's those rocks that they wear as necklaces and other jewelry, isn't it?" Joey guesses.

"I'm not sure. I wasn't able to translate everything."

"NO!" Joey yells with frustration, clenching his fist. And yet another roadblock has stopped them from getting the answers they need.

"Chill out man," Tristan says. "You'll blow a gasket."

"You guys don't get it, do you? Those Atlantis freaks are trying to cover something up about that ancient mega monster."

"Of course!" Duke realizes. "There must have been something written in those ruins about how to destroy that thing before it destroys us!"

"I get it," Tristan says before grinning. "Hey Joey! I guess you had your good idea for the year!"

"The ruins may have been destroyed, but there are copies of the inscriptions at a Florida museum where I was doing my research," the professor reveals.

"Perfect!" Tea exclaims. "So all we have to do is go there and translate the rest!" The professor nods with a smile.

"Ah yeah! What are we waiting for?" Joey yells with determination, turning to Yami. Finally after much pondering, it seems they have a breakthrough and now know what their next move will be. "Let's head to the sunshine state and find out the secret to beating these guys and save Yugi!"

"I'm right with you there, pal!" Tristan says, standing up from his seat. "You should probably sit this one out, professor."

"He's right," Rebecca says. "Traveling probably isn't the best thing for you right now."

"Don't worry. I'll stay behind and look after him," Duke volunteers.

"Okay. I'll book our flights and we'll take a train to the airport."

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Night has fallen and everyone has gone off to sleep to prepare for their next venture. Téa sleeps curled up underneath a light blanket on the couch, Joey sleeps against the wall and Duke and Tristan share the bench near the table. Yami sits across from them with one leg stretched and the other one bent, holding his head in his hand. He just couldn't sleep. Not after the day he's had. He just keeps replaying the incident in his head over and over, beating himself up even more. He knows that continuing to mope will do him no good, but for now, he allows himself this moment to.

A creaking sound comes from the door and Yami lifts his head to the source of the noise. Cairo quietly steps in, closing the door behind her carefully before locking eyes with the pharaoh. Her eyes show no emotion as she begins to approach him. He watches as she makes her way over to him, wondering what she is planning to do. She does not break any eye contact with him until she is finally standing directly in front of him.

"Cairo," Yami says in a low tone. "What's wrong?" She takes one more step up to him and outstretches her index finger toward his Millennium Puzzle. She taps the eye in the middle and it begins to emit a bright glow. The only thing he manages to do is gasp and then suddenly, his world is black.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Let me know how you're liking it! Leave a review! Thanks for all the favs and follows!


	10. Her Past Revealed

Yami gasps loudly, coughing a few times as he sits up, looking at his surroundings. Instead of being in the trailer, he is inside the labyrinth of the Millennium Puzzle, surrounded by many doors and stairs. He is perplexed as to why he is there at that current moment. The last thing he remembers is Cairo walking up to him and tapping on his puzzle, before everything went dark. Has she somehow transported him here?

"What am I doing here?" he asks himself, beginning to walk ahead. He has been here more times than he can count, wandering around aimlessly, trying to piece together things of his past. But the more he does, the more questions come up. He is almost certain that he has been through almost every door. But one door in particular is standing out to him. Unlike the hundreds of steel, gray doors that surround him, this one is red with a golden handle. Of all his years within the puzzle, he's never seen this door before.

Hearing small footsteps, he turns around and sees Cairo. Without a word, she walks past him and approaches the door. "Why have you brought me here?" Yami asks.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions. And what I'm about to show you are fragments of my past…our past. And while I can't show it all, I hope this will answer some of the questions you have about me." She places her hand on the doorknob and turns her head to look at him. "Ready?"

He nods. "Let's go." She opens the door that emits a bright light and Yami shields his eyes. Once the light finally fades, he finds himself on the ground in yet another location, surrounded by tall concrete walls surrounding what appears to be a palace and it is heavily guarded by guards who carry spears. He gets to his hands and knees and looks around. Something about this place seems very off. He notices the statues of gods and how everything is constructed differently and he gasps in realization.

"Am I…?" Before he can finish his question, he hears a light groan come from beside him and he looks over to see that Cairo is slowly sitting up. He gets up and kneels down to her. "Cairo. Are you alright?"

"Yeah…I'm fine," she replies as he helps her to her feet.

"Where are we?"

She looks to the statues of various gods, the rock hard walls that surround them and the huge palace up ahead the long passageway. "We're home," she finally responds and his eyes widen. Have they really been transported to Egypt?

It is dark and there appears to be no signs of anyone around. They start to explore the corridors of the palace, not knowing where to begin. The halls are empty and only the sounds of crickets fill the air. As they're about to turn a corner, Yami catches sight of a guard who is coming their way and quickly pulls Cairo back. He places an arm protectively in front of Cairo as they both press their backs into the wall. The guard, who carries a spear in his hand, surveys the area and to their horror, looks directly at them. Yami can feel his heart pounding out of his chest, expecting the worst. But to his surprise, the guard looks right past them as if they aren't there at all.

"He can't see us?" he asks out loud, hesitantly. He waves his hand, but the guard doesn't react.

"No," Cairo replies with a slight chuckle.

"HALT!" the guard suddenly yells, startling them both. Can he see them after all? They both look in the direction the guard is looking and see a small figure run past. The guard runs after the mystery person while Yami and Cairo exchange looks before following after him.

"Who goes there?" the guard asks. It appears to be a short girl with long, black hair that reaches her calves. She wears a white pleated skirt and tank with a golden necklace around her neck and a golden crown. She turns around to reveal herself, her innocent, amethyst eyes gazing up at the guard. The guard sighs and places a hand on his forehead. "Princess, what are you doing wandering around the palace?"

"Cairo?" Yami says with surprise. She definitely doesn't look like the same Cairo that is standing right next to her, although the clothing the past Cairo is wearing resembles what she wore when they first met her in the present world. But her hair is a lot longer and her eyes are less narrowed.

"Sheesh…was my hair really that long?" Cairo comments, rubbing the back of her head.

"I was just playing," the princess says to the guard with a shrug and a smile.

"I'm sure the pharaoh doesn't want you wandering around here so late. Please, for your safety, return to your quarters at once."

"Eh…alright." She darts off in another direction and the guard shakes his head. Yami and the present Cairo decide to follow her to her next destination.

The princess runs through the empty courtyard and stops to catch her breath. She doesn't want to go to sleep. Not when she is filled with so much energy. She walks over to the pond and watches as fishes swim within it. She takes out her black wand and points it at the fish, concentrating on it. Her wand glows purple and the fish is soon surrounded by a purple aura as it is lifted up into the air with her magical abilities. She giggles in delight after her spell works. Although she has done this spell many times with ease, it is one of her favorites.

"What are you doing up?" comes a familiar voice.

Yami raises an eyebrow. The voice sounded identical to his. His eyes widen when he sees a man who looks just like him walk over to Cairo. He wears a long white skirt that reaches just below his knees and a tank with a navy blue cape. The Millennium Puzzle is draped around his neck and he wears a crown similar to Cairo's.

"That's…me…" Yami says with surprise. This version of him also has brown skin that matches Cairo's and his wrists, ears and fingers are adorned with jewelry.

"Practicing my magic," the princess finally replies, twirling her wand.

"It's late. You should be in bed."

"But I'm not tired." She releases the fish back into the water and drops her arms. "I want to train some more."

"Cairo, you are the best in your class. You are far advanced for someone of your age. Even the most elite spell casters must take a break," he tells her and she pouts. He chuckles and swoops her up into his arms, tickling her as she laughs and attempts to get out of his grasp.

"Dad, that tickles! Cut it out!" she laughs as he carries her bridal style.

"Time for bed."

"You think if I keep practicing I'll be the strongest magician there is?" she asks with a smile.

"I have no doubt that you will be very powerful."

She perks up and grins. "Even more powerful than mom?"

He leans down with a smirk to whisper in her ear. "Nice try, but you're not getting me in trouble."

"Aw no fair!"

The scene between the pharaoh and his daughter fades to black, leaving Cairo and Yami surrounded by darkness. Cairo looks down with a smile, giggly softy and holding on to her arms. She missed those days. Where things were somewhat calm. And most importantly, she missed her interactions with her father. Yami notices her smile change into a frown and asks, "You okay?"

She looks up at him and nods. "Yeah. I was just reminiscing on the good ol' days. With you."

"It seems we had a close father-daughter bond."

"Yeah, we did. We were pretty much inseparable. I miss it." She sighs. "But then tragedy struck."

The scenery around them changes once again. This time they appear to be in what seems like an underground area. In front of them is a dark hall and a menacing laugh echoes through the air, putting Yami on alert.

"What was that?" Yami asks and Cairo lowers her eyes as the laugh echoes around them. Wanting to know where the laughs are coming from, Yami runs a few steps ahead, but stops when he sees Cairo not following him. "What's wrong?"

"What you are about to witness is a very painful moment of my past," she replies.

"You mean…?

She nods, still looking at the ground. She clenches her shirt, hearing the laugh yet again. She can remember what happened as if it happened yesterday. The sights, the sounds, the pain. "I'm not sure if I can handle this."

"If you don't want to move forward, then that's fine," Yami says understandingly. "I don't want to put you through any unnecessary distress."

Cairo shakes her head. "No. I told you I was going to show you a piece of my past and I'm going to keep my word."

"Alright then. Let's go," Yami says as they run toward the source of the laughs. They turn a corner and Yami is shocked at what he sees. There were multiple people dressed in Egyptian clothing, but they aren't moving at all. They had auras around their bodies and they seem to be frozen in time. The only one that does not appear to be frozen is an older hooded figure. Behind him also stands a dark figure with horns and a stone tablet containing all of the Millennium Items.

Yami gasps. "What is going on?"

"Denounce your allegiance to Egypt and pledge your loyalty to me!" the dark horned figure commands of the hooded one. "Do this and everything you desire shall be yours!" The hooded old man raises his hands to the devilish creature and he is suddenly surrounded by a purple aura. His body is soon changed into darker clothing, his hair grows long and red and a mask covers part of his face. The other part of his face has a replica of the Millennium Eye where his normal eye would be. "Behold! The Great Shadow Magus!"

Magus turns his sights on the frozen group in front of him and outstretches his hand. "Now, be gone pharaoh!"

"Pharaoh?" Yami asks aloud.

"There," Cairo points out. Standing in front of the group of people is Yami's past self.

"Is this another memory of your past?" Cairo nods slowly, already knowing what is about to occur. Her heart beats fast as if this is the first time she is witnessing this.

A blast of purple lightening emits from Magus' ghastly hands, heading right toward the defenseless pharaoh and it makes impact. Magus laughs, feeling victorious, but his laughter is soon turned into disbelief when a small girl is standing protectively in front of the pharaoh, holding out her black wand.

"I won't let you harm him!" the princess yells.

"How dare you interfere?!" Magus prepares another attack until the dark horned figure behind him stops him.

"She is a powerful child. And someone with that amount of power shall be of great use to me," it says.

"Cairo, run now!" The pharaoh warns. Although he is frozen, it hasn't fully stopped his ability to speak.

The princess turns to him with tearful eyes. "But what about you?"

"Listen to him Cairo!" a woman with brown spiky hair yells. She also holds a wand in her hand as well, almost identical to Cairo's, but it is blue. "It's not safe for you here!"

"Watch out!" Yami yells, but the princess cannot hear him and soon Magus appears behind her, snatching her up by her long, black locs of hair. She cries and squirms as she tries to break free from his grasp, but to no avail.

The present Cairo holds onto her head and shuts her eyes, turning away from the scene unfolding in front of her. This is the moment where her life changed. Hearing the cries of her past self is gut wrenching and heart breaking. She lets out a cry as tears stream down her cheeks, going down to her knees from the overwhelming emotions that flood her mind.

"Cairo!" Yami runs to her side, crouching down and placing his hands on her shoulders consolingly as he looks on. This memory in particular must be extremely painful for her to watch, he thinks to himself.

"You will serve me now," the dark one says and she screams as a dark, purple force shoots through her body to everyone's horror. She can not only feel a great amount of strength surging through her, but a great amount of darkness as well. She still continues to fight and she knees Magus in the stomach and he cries out in pain, before using his sharp claws to swipe at her. At the last minute, she moves just in time, although a large chunk of her hair is lost from that quick motion, leaving her with spiky shoulder length hair. She drops to her hands and knees, panting heavily.

"What have you done to her?" The pharaoh asks. "TELL ME!" She slowly lifts her head, revealing her pitch black eyes to everyone's shock.

"She serves me now," the dark one says.

"No!"

The princess slowly stands to her feet and points her wand at the pharaoh with a grin. As Yami looks on, the world around them begins to fade to black, the scene in front of them starting to disappear until…

Back in the present world, Yami's eyes burst open and he tries to catch his breath. He is back in the trailer and morning has come, although everyone else is still sleep. He gasps in realization when he realizes that Cairo is nowhere to be found. He springs up and quietly walks out the door. The sun is high into the sky, but the atmosphere is cool. Looking from left to right, there is still no sign of Cairo anywhere. His eyes scroll down to a cat in particular, making its way to the other side of the trailer and Yami follows.

Ebo climbs into Cairo's arms and she stands up straight. She breathes a deep, heavy sigh as she strokes his head.

"Cairo," Yami calls out to her and her heart drops. She can once again feel the tears threatening to fall and she turns her back to him, beginning to walk away. "Cairo, wait!" He quickens his pace to catch up to her and she stops, not giving him any eye contact. "Was that incident…was that what you were holding back from me this whole time?"

"Yeah…" she says, focusing on her feet on the ground. "It's how I was cursed with some of my abilities and also the reason why I've been banished to the Shadow Realm for all eternity. I betrayed you and I'm part of the reason for the destruction of Egypt. So I can see why people refer to me as evil."

Yami narrows his eyes. "That's not fair."

"Hm?"

"What happened all those years ago…if what I just witnessed is accurate...it wasn't your fault. You were controlled by an evil presence."

"But if I had listened and got out of there as I was told, I wouldn't be the way I am now," she says turning to him with tearful eyes. "The amount of strength that I was cursed with scares me. You don't even know the half of it." She looks down at her hands as they shake slightly. "These hands…these hands have caused a lot of destruction and have hurt countless people…including you."

"But you're not evil Cairo," Yami says stepping up to her. "I know deep down, you are good and you want to help people. That's why you've stuck around us for this long, regardless of your mission."

"Well I can't be around anymore!" she yells, closing her eyes and turning her head. "I've upset the gods by trying to help prevent Yugi's soul from being stolen instead of focusing on what I originally came here for."

Yami's eyes widen with shock. "What?"

Her shoulders begin to tremble as more tears fall. "I've angered the gods yet again. As if I already weren't on their bad side. No matter what I do or how much I try to do good, it still isn't enough! I'll always be seen as an evil person!"

"Cairo, listen to me…What happened back then was something completely out of your control. That evil saw the power and strength within you and took advantage of it, turning you against everyone."

Cairo bows her head. "What if Rafael is right? What if evil truly does run in the family? I mean…you let the darkness consume you in your duel. And for that, Yugi paid the price."

Yami lowers his eyes. What she is saying is absolutely true. His mind was clouded by rage and he wasn't thinking things all the way through. Normally he prides himself in being able to keep calm, even in the most stressful situations. But his anger took control. He kneels down and looks her in the eyes. "There's no absolutely no excuse for what I did. I was so consumed by my anger that I didn't think about the consequences of my actions." His look of sorrow soon turns into determination, Joey's words of pushing forward echoing through his head. "But I promise, no matter what it takes, I will get Yugi back and free the rest of the souls who are lost to the Orichalcos. I refuse to let my past define me. Instead, I will use it to guide me and learn from my mistakes."

"Too bad no matter what she does, she will always be a prisoner of the shadows," comes a masculine voice and they both whip around to see Hasani standing across from them at a distance.

"You…" Cairo narrows her eyes and makes her wand appear in her hand.

"What do you want?" Yami asks, standing up to his feet.

"I see that Rafael guy couldn't finish off the job," he says taking a few steps toward them. "And I'm not about to wait on them to witness your demise. I will carry it out myself! I will get revenge on behalf of Kul Elna!"

"Honestly, I'm not in the mood," Cairo says, growing agitated. After revisiting her past, all she wants to do is be alone with her thoughts. But it doesn't look like that is going to happen anytime soon to her dismay.

"Aw, what's wrong? Finally come clean to your father, eh?" he asks tauntingly, setting his sights on the pharaoh who glares at him. "Told him of your evil past? I'm surprised you're even standing next to her, pharaoh. But then again, after witnessing you selfishly summon the seal for your own selfish gain, I shouldn't be surprised at all."

"It wasn't her fault. She was being controlled!" Yami shouts defensively.

"Your family truly is evil."

"My father had nothing to do with what happened in Kul Elna. I am truly sorry for the death and destruction that fell upon your people. But the pharaoh nor the previous pharaoh had anything to do with it," Cairo says.

"Whether it was the pharaoh or not, the man that caused all of this is still your family!" Hasani shoots back. "And since he's the only one present, I will take out my revenge on him and stop him from reaching his destiny!"

"What exactly happened?" Yami whispers to Cairo, not taking his eyes off Hasani.

"That guy Magus from that little flashback I showed you…he's responsible for all of this," she whispers back. "None of this is your fault."

"You're telling me that demon like figure is related to us?" Yami says in shock.

"You don't know the half of it."

"Either stand aside or go down together!" Hasani yells.

"You and I both know I can't do that," Cairo says, standing in front of Yami.

"Suit yourself!" He charges at Cairo with full speed, preparing to land a punch and she calmly catches it with her hand to his surprise. While his hand is caught in her grasp, he tries to land a kick to which she blocks with her wand. His eyes widen with shock. It's as if she has gotten stronger since he last saw her. He knows that she is infused with the powers of the dark one and the possibilities of her powers are endless. Does she somehow adapt after each and every fight?

She places her palm on his stomach and shoots a magical blast at him, causing him to fly back several feet. He grunts as he hits the floor and grimaces as he tries to sit up, only to be met by the golden ball of Cairo's wand pointed at him. "End of the road." Her wand glows and Hasani's soul is lifted out of the body he had taken over.

"Hey! What's all the commotion out here?" Joey asks as he, Téa, Duke and Tristan run outside and join the pharaoh at his side.

Duke blinks at the spirit that is floating in the air. "W-What the heck?"

"Did Cairo capture another soul?" Téa asks.

In his soul form, Hasani notices that Cairo has her head turned, distracted by the others. He snickers inwardly. Now is his chance.

Just as Cairo is turning her head back around, she feels an unfamiliar presence enter her body and she quickly draws in a breath, dropping her wand and holding onto her arms. Immediately, Yami notices something is wrong, seeing the fear in Cairo's eyes. Has the spirit of Hasani somehow possessed her? "Cairo, what's wrong?" he asks, taking a few steps ahead.

A dark aura appears around her as she cries out, holding onto her head. "Get out…GET OUT!" she yells.

"Anybody know what's going on?" Duke asks.

"I think that Hasani guy is trying to take control of Cairo's body!" Joey guesses. "That slime ball!"

Hasani laughs from within. "Now I will finally have my revenge!" Cairo can feel her arm lifting and she uses her free arm to pull it down.

"GET OUT!" she screams.

"Soon the pharaoh will be no more…"

Her wand lifts into her hands, aiming it right at the pharaoh and the others. Her amethyst eyes are replaced with glowing crimson ones as the dark aura around her continues to grow.

"Fight it Cairo!" Yami yells. The scene unfolding in front of him is very reminiscent of what he just witnessed of their past. "Don't let him control you!"

"Come on Cairo! We're your friends!" Joey chimes in, clenching his fists.

"Please! Snap out of it!" Téa pleads.

"You're all through!" Hasani yells through Cairo's body as the ball of energy begins to grow and Yami and the others huddle close together helplessly.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Things have gotten pretty intense! Leave a review and let me know what you think! And thanks to everyone who has left a review/message! :)


	11. Parting Ways

It is as if Yami is reliving this scene once again. Standing face to face with Cairo as she prepares to attack, just as she did 5,000 years ago in Egypt. She has been possessed by an evil force yet again, but she is fighting to regain control. The wind blows fiercely around them and the ground crumbles around her as it trembles. He can practically feel the warmth emitting from Cairo's hand as she prepares to shoot a magical blast at him.

"Cairo…don't do this," Yami says, standing in front of his friends.

"Yeah, you're on our side, remember?!" Joey yells.

"She obeys me now!" Hasani says out of her body. "Now prepare for your demise!" As he attempts to aim for the pharaoh, he can feel Cairo's body jerk at the last moment, causing him to miss. Instead it lands at a further distance, causing a small explosion.

"Aw man, we're totally done for!" Tristan shouts.

"No," Yami says, pointing at Cairo who is now holding her head as the wind around her picks up more. "She's trying to break free!"

"I promised myself I would never let another being possess me again," Cairo says between clenched teeth. "THIS STOPS HERE!" She lets out a loud scream as a dark aura appears around her, shooting up into the sky and she uses all her strength to break free from Hasani's control.

"That's it! Fight it Cairo!" Yami encourages.

Balling her fists, she lets out one last cry and Hasani can feel himself expelled from her body and back out into the world. Tristan, Joey, Duke and Téa all collectively sigh with relief. But Yami notices something is off. He watches as the soul of Hasani scrambles away as Cairo's powers seem to go haywire. Her normal amethyst eyes are pitch black and she has a panicked expression on her face as she tries to keep her powers under control. They all shield their face as the wind picks up even more.

"Now what?" Duke asks.

"She's lost control," Yami observes, taking a step forward.

Cairo looks down at her hands before looking around with fear as more of the ground beneath her begins to crack. In the process of getting Hasani out, she has used too much of her powers. In this world, she has been able to defeat her obstacles with ease, so there would be no reason to use her full strength. But the main reason why she keeps her strength under wraps is because it is too much for her to control.

The clouds above get dark and lightening begins to strike in random areas. Cairo slowly raises her hand, firing off sporadic energy blasts that hit multiple areas of the field. Instead of the purple blasts that would normally shoot from her hand, these are red, and the dark aura around her grows.

"We gotta take cover!" Duke yells and they all run to the entrance of the trailer. Téa stops and whips around when she realizes the pharaoh isn't doing the same. Instead, he is going the opposite direction, running straight at Cairo.

"Pharaoh, no! It's too dangerous!" Téa calls out to him.

He zig-zags and dodges the lightning strikes and energy blasts, determined to get to Cairo as quickly as possible. He jumps as the ground begins to crumble and become uneven. He can see that she is scared and wants nothing more but for this all to end. "I'm coming Cairo!" She lets out a loud scream, raising her hands into the sky as if gathering all of the lightning, before abruptly dropping her hands, causing the enormous burst of lightning to hit the ground. The impact is so strong that it blows Yami back and he hits the dirt.

"Pharaoh!" Joey yells. He grits his teeth, feeling helpless and not knowing how to stop Cairo's outburst.

"You gotta come back man! You're gonna get yourself killed!" Tristan shouts.

It's as if her body is moving on her own, Yami thinks to himself, watching Cairo's body movements. They are slow and robotic and her dark eyes are blank. "I have to get to her, quick! But how?" he asks himself out loud. He gasps when he sees a ball of fur rush toward Cairo from the corner of his eyes. When he gets a better look, it is none other than her cat, Ebo. The furry creature darts straight at Cairo and jumps in the air and onto her shoulder. It meows, nuzzling his furry cheek on her and she gasps. The wind around them gradually begins to slow down as she grows distracted.

"Ebo…" she says slowly, still in a trance-like state. Up until this moment, her world was pitch black. She couldn't see clearly as her powers went out of control.

"Cairo!" Yami yells, running up to her and holding her in an embrace. She blinks a few times, her eyes returning back to normal and the dark clouds in the sky disappear.

"D-dad?" she stutters. There are large craters in different parts of the ground, some of them still emitting smoke. Yami crouches down as she drops to her knees, her body shaking from the realization of what just happened.

"It's alright," Yami assures her. "You're safe now."

"Pharaoh!" Téa yells as they all run over to them. "Is she alright?"

"What have I done…?" Cairo says in a whisper.

"You almost killed us all!" Tristan yells bluntly.

"Take it easy, man," Duke says with a frown, taken off guard by Tristan's sudden outburst at the child.

"I told you we couldn't trust her! Just look at this place!"

Yami narrows his eyes. "Tristan!" he yells in a warning tone.

"It's not her fault!" Téa defends her.

"Yeah, if that crazy guy hadn't possessed her body then none of this would have happened!" Joey chimes in. "I know Cairo is a good person."

"You guys keep making excuses for her cuz she's a kid. But newsflash everyone, she's been banished to the Shadow Realm for a reason."

"It would be wise if you didn't speak on things you know nothing about," Yami says, standing up and facing Tristan, having heard enough. "The reasoning behind her being banished to the shadows is not what you think. And I will not allow you to continue to speak of my daughter in that matter."

Téa's eyes go wide. "Wait, Cairo's your daughter?" she says in shock.

"So what that Rafael guy said was right," Joey says, remembering him briefly mentioning it in Yami's duel.

Duke shrugs his shoulders. "Makes sense. There's definitely some similarities," he says, noting their almost identical eyes.

Rebecca hops out of the trailer and gasps when sees the destruction. Her eyes scroll over to Cairo who kneels on the ground, her head hanging low with Ebo by her side and she puts two and two together as to what happened. "Uh, you guys might want to get a move on," Rebecca says, bringing their attention to her. "You don't wanna miss your train."

"Alright, let's go and save Yugi!" Joey exclaims as he, Tristan and Duke run into the trailer.

Téa and Yami stay behind, wanting to make sure Cairo is okay. Ebo jumps in her lap and she strokes his head a few times with her eyes lowered.

"Hey." Têa gets down on one knee beside the child and placing a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

Cairo sighs and looks up at her. "I will be." She looks down at her hands. "When I came here, I've only needed to use a quarter of my strength."

Téa's eyes widen with disbelief. "You mean the power you've displayed in the past—all of the strength, was only just a little of what you can do?"

Cairo nods.

"And when you use too much, you lose control," Yami concludes.

She nods again. "It's hard for me to get a handle of all the dark powers that I was cursed with. Like I said before, the power that I possess scares me. The possibilities are endless." She stands up and Ebo hops on her shoulder. "It's best I take my leave."

"Please don't go," Tea pleads. "We need you!"

"Téa's right. We need all the help we can get."

"I'm sorry, but I have to. Besides, the gods really don't want me interfering anymore." She begins to levitate in the air and looks at the pharaoh. "I'm glad I was able to see you one more time."

"Cairo, wait!" Yami calls after her as she zooms up into the sky.

Cairo holds Ebo in her arms as she flies further up into the air, whooshing through the clouds. It pains her to leave. She really wants to stick around and help. But maybe this is for the best. And after that huge display of her power, it probably wouldn't be wise to stick around. She doesn't want to hurt anyone. "At least I got to see him again," she says to herself. She can feel herself tearing up, but she quickly blinks them away. She sniffles and wipes her nose with the back of her sleeve. "Focus Cairo. You need to find all of the souls."

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Yami, Téa, Joey and Tristan make it to the train station just before it pulls off. Luckily for them, they were able to hitch a ride with Duke who put the pedal to the metal to get them there on time. The train is fully packed, ranging from young kids to older adults.

"Nothing like a cold soda and a bag of chips," Joey says, cracking open the can as they all sit in their seats. Tristan does the same and they look out the window, enjoying the sights as the train speeds down the tracks.

Téa groans. They seem to be enjoying themselves. As usual, they get distracted instead of focusing on the bigger picture as to why they're taking the trip in the first place. But she doesn't say anything, allowing them to stretch their legs before its back to business. She looks over at the pharaoh, who sits next to her by the window. His eyes are lowered and he seems very distant.

'He's barely said a word since Cairo left,' she thinks to himself with concern. 'I got to get him to say something.' She lets out a fake sneeze in an attempt to get him to speak, but it doesn't work. She ponders in her head what else she can do or say and then an idea pops into her mind.

She points out the window. "Whoa! The view is awesome! Come on, check it out!" she exclaims with a smile. But he doesn't budge. "Florida has the best beaches! Aw man! I think I forgot to pack my bathing suit!" Once again her attempts end in failure and he becomes more withdrawn.

'The pharaoh must really miss Yugi. And now Cairo's gone too,' she says in her mind.

In one final attempt, she says, "Come on, you gotta cheer up. I promise we'll get Yugi back! But in the meantime, you can't just sit around moping. It might help to talk about it?"

Yami sighs and gets up from his seat. "Sorry Téa," he apologize as he walks out of the cart.

"Poor guy…"

"I think he needs to be alone for awhile," Tristan observes.

"He's already alone," Joey comments before taking a sip of his soda. "Isn't that the whole problem? He's crushed."

"Yeah, you're right," Téa agrees.

"But he'll be good as new soon enough. Because we're gonna rescue Yugi, right guys?"

Téa nods with a smile. "There's no doubt." She then turns her attention to Tristan. "It just sucks that Cairo had to leave us as well."

"Why are you looking at me?" Tristan asks, waving his arms in front of him and Téa grunts.

Yami stands in between cars and looks out the window. 'How could I have been so selfish?' he asks himself, the events leading up to Yugi's soul being taken continuously replaying in his mind. 'I gave in to the darkness within my heart and Yugi paid the price.' He punches the wall and slides down to the floor, holding onto his Millennium Puzzle.

About a half hour goes by and Téa and the others are growing more concerned. "He's been gone for awhile," Téa says as Tristan looks at his surroundings before gasping.

"Hey, hold on. He's not the only one," Tristan says. Joey looks around as well and realizes that the whole car is empty. "Call me crazy. But wasn't this train filled with passengers just a minute ago? What's the deal? How can a train that was once full of people be suddenly empty?"

Téa gets out of her seat to observe too and a chill goes through her body. "Alright. I'm officially freaked out."

_In a dark lair, Dartz laughs as more souls fill his sanctuary. "A vacant train is the least of your problems my friends. I'm just getting warmed up."_

Joey comes out of another car and sure enough it is empty as well. "I don't see a soul."

"Do you have to say soul?" Tristan asks, side eyeing him.

They open the door to yet another car and it produces the same results. "It's a complete ghost town in here."

Téa dims her eyes. "Don't say ghost either."

After getting his mind together, Yami finally joins the others. "There you are!" Téa says.

"If you haven't noticed, something weird is going on," Joey says and that's when Yami takes notice that there is no one else on the train with them.

"If you ask me, I think this is another trap!" Tristan assumes.

"Yeah," Joey agrees with narrowed eyes. "I'm sure those same slime balls are behind this."

Yami leads the way to the front of the train to try and get it to stop. As he crosses over into the other car, he is unaware that the hinges have come loose and the cars are starting to separate. He gets on the other side with ease, but the distance between the cars are growing.

"Oh no!" Téa exclaims and the pharaoh looks back, seeing what is happening.

He outstretches his hand. "Grab my hand!" She takes a huge leap and he catches her, leaving Joey and Tristan on the other side.

"Hey pharaoh! What do we do now?!" Tristan yells over the strong wind.

"Get help!" Yami shouts back.

"Come on! We gotta figure out a way to stop this train!" Téa says and Yami nods in agreement. As their half of the train continues, Tristan and Joey's half slows down until it comes to a complete stop in the middle of nowhere.

Téa knocks on the conductor door. "Hello! Is anyone in there?!" When she gets no response she turns back to Yami and shakes her head. The train crosses over a bridge and onto a portion where there is nothing on either side of them but a hundred foot drop. The train seems to go faster and faster and panic begins to set in.

"There's gotta be another way to stop this train!" Yami yells.

"Yeah, but how?!"

The wheels on the train suddenly bounce on the tracks and Yami holds onto Téa as the train leaves the tracks. Both of them scream as it skids across the dirt and they both topple over, crashing into the hard metal seats, knocking them both unconscious. Finally, the train goes into a free fall off the side of a cliff, heading toward the trees below.

"_No!" Dartz yells, slamming down his fists. He didn't anticipate the train doing this. "I need the pharaoh alive!"_

Flying in the sky above, Cairo witnesses all of this going on and quickly zooms down, racing to beat the train before it makes impact on the ground. She manages to fly underneath it and with one hand, she catches the train and holds Ebo in the other hand. Ebo meows as she descends, placing the train down.

"I guess I really can't help myself," Cairo says to her companion. She floats in the air and looks through one of the cracked windows, seeing her father and Téa lying motionless on the floor. "Not good." Hearing rustling from some nearby bushes, she quickly looks towards the source and sees a little girl with brown pig tails and an older man with a beard carrying a staff. Without a word, Cairo lands on the ground, holding Ebo close to her chest as she observes the two individuals.

"Did you see that, grandpa?" the girl asks.

"Yes, Chris," the older man says. "Who are you and how are you capable of such things?"

Cairo doesn't respond. She looks to the train and then back to them. She senses a strange presence coming from. The feeling is similar to when she senses spirits. But she doesn't get any evil vibes from them.

"Something tells me you're not from this world," the old man says.

"And neither are you," Cairo says calmly. She looks to the train again and the old man smiles.

"Don't worry," he says and her eyes scrolls back to look at him. "They're in good hands."

After studying them for a bit more, Cairo concludes that they are not a threat. She bows her head slightly, closing her eyes before disappearing through the ground.

"Amazing," Chris says with astonishment.

"Come on Chris. They need our help," the old man says as they walk toward the train.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Another chapter done! I don't want to delve too much in the Orichalcos story so some things will be skipped over and moreso focusing on Cairo in the coming chapters. I want to eventually get to the Tournament that takes place later on and Dawn of the Duel in this story.

Pleaseeeee review!


	12. Running Out of Time

Dartz kneels down in front of his dragon sanctuary, focusing on the life force of the pharaoh. He closes his eyes, searching for any sign of him, but comes out empty handed. He growls in frustration.

"Somehow I've lost contact with the pharoah," he says with narrowed eyes.

"Maybe the pharaoh didn't survive the fall," Rafael says, standing behind him.

"He did," Dartz said. "However someone or something is hiding him from my vision."

"Then let me be your eyes master," Rafael volunteers. "And I'll make up for my past failure."

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Yami's eyes shoot open and he quickly sits up after having a bad dream revolving around losing Yugi to the seal. Somehow he has ended up in a tent with a blanket laying over him. "Hold on…where am I?" He hears a light groan coming from beside him and sees Téa lying there as well. "Téa," he calls out to her with worry. "Téa wake up."

Her eyes flutter open and she sits up as well. "Where are we? The last thing I remember is—" A growl from the tent's entrance brings their attention to a gray dog that runs up to her and tackles her back to the floor.

Yami gasps. "Téa!" But his fears are soon put to rest when he hears her laughing from the dog licking her cheek. The dog then turns its sights on the pharaoh, showing him the same amount of love.

"Sky! Get back here!" yells a girl wearing brown pig tails, a brown hat with a pink ribbon and a matching pink dress and cowboy boots. "Sorry if she woke you up."

"Who are you?" Yami asks.

"You can call me Chris," the girl greets as her dog runs back up to her and she chuckles. "And you've already met Sky."

Outside, an old man carrying a wooden staff kneels down and gathers the duel monsters cards that came out of Yami's duel disk. They were scattered all on the ground after the fall. One card in particular, the Eye of Timaeus really catches his eye. He looks to the right of him when he sees Sky running up to him. He smiles and pets the dog.

"The visitors are awake, grandpa," Chris says as they approach him from behind. He stands up and turns to face them.

"I see your strength is back," he says.

"Yes. Thank you," the pharaoh replies.

"Pleased to hear it. You two had me worried. The name is Iron Heart." He holds out the deck of cards, the Eye of Timeaus laying on the top. "And I believe these belong to you." Yami reluctantly takes the cards and looks at the legendary dragon card. "Pardon me for being intrusive, but I couldn't help but notice that you hold the Eye of Timaues. The only one of its kind."

"I'm not deserving of its power," Yami says, thinking of his past mistakes and betrayal. He hands the card back to Iron Heart. "Take it."

"That's not true!" Téa disagrees.

"I will give it back when you're ready," Iron Heart says before changing the subject. "You two took quite a fall. You're lucky to be alive."

"Yeah if it weren't for that girl we saw, who knows what would have happened," Chris adds to their surprise. "She caught the train with just one hand!"

Yami gasps in realization. "Could it be..?"

"This girl didn't happen to have black hair and purple eyes, did she?" Téa asks.

"She did," Iron Heart replies. "She seemed to hold a great amount of power and very wise beyond her years."

Téa and Yami exchange looks when they both realize who it is. Yami looks up to the sky, wondering where she is now. "Thank you Cairo," he says to himself.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Cairo flies on her back with her arms outstretched, enjoying the breeze and the calmness that comes with flying high in the sky. Ebo lays on her chest, accustomed to its new life with Cairo and the adventures that come along with being around her. "Now it's back to business. Time to find more souls," she says before dimming her eyes and talking in a dramatic tone, "So that I may return to be a prisoner of the Shadow Realm for all eternity."

Her stomach growls loud enough to wake Ebo and she blushes. "I can't remember the last time I've had a meal." She holds onto the cat as she floats upward, looking to see if there are any areas with food nearby. She notices a town below with wooden buildings and sees smoke coming from one of them. She descends down to the almost deserted town and lands gracefully on her feet.

A tasty aroma dances around her nose, triggering her stomach to growl even more. She literally floats to the source of the smell and stops right in front of the door. She can hear the sound of plates clacking and people talking. Walking through the wooden doors, the restaurant is full of people eating and communing with each other. A lot of them wear western outfits with cowboy hats and boots.

As she approaches the counter, she notices two people on opposite sides of the counter exchanging green paper and placing it into a black register. After that, they are given their food and they find a place to sit. "I see. So I need that in order to get food," she observes. But where is she supposed to get that?

The sound of men cheering in a corner catches her attention and she approaches the group. Two men sitting across from each other arm wrestle as people spectate. A man wearing a cowboy hat and a black mustache sits at a chair much different from the old wooden ones that are all over the restaurant.

"If he wins, he'll get free food!" A spectator says that causes Cairo's ears to perk up. Free food?

"Yeah, but no one has ever defeated the champ," another one chimes in, motioning at the man sitting in the fancy, red velvet chair.

The champion's opponent cries out and holds his wrist, having been defeated. He walks away with his head down in shame as the champion flexes his muscles.

"So if I defeat him, I can get free food," Cairo says and she pushes her way through the tall muscular men.

"Who's up to be my next opponent?" the champion asks with a confident smirk. Ebo climbs on Cairo's shoulder as she sits down in front of him to everyone's shock. "What are you doing here, little girl?"

"I want free food."

"Eh?" The man blinks a few times before bursting into laughter with the rest of the crowd. "Go home to your mom, kid. This isn't a place for you, anyway."

"Not until I get my food."

The champ shakes his head and he sits down in front of Cairo with his leg crossed over the other, lounging back in his chair. "So you really wanna go against someone like me?" he asks with a chuckle. "I won't even have to break a sweat." He places his elbow on the table and holds out his hand and Cairo grasps it with her own. Her hand is significantly smaller than his, but that doesn't intimidate her one bit.

"GO!"

The sound of the man's hand thumping to his side of the table is all anyone hears followed by a long silence. Cairo's hand lay on top of his as he and the spectators blink in confusion. He tries to play it off by laughing. "I went easy on her! Let's try that again."

"Ready? GO!"

The man grunts as he tries to take Cairo's hand down, but she is as stiff as a rock as she looks at him with a blank stare. "Seriously?" Cairo asks, noticing the man sweating and his veins popping out of his head. His face is red and he bites his bottom lip as he uses all of his strength.

"What's going on with the champ?" a witness asks.

"She's not even trying!" another says in shock.

Cairo turns over her arm with ease and the man can feel himself being lifted out of his seat and flying into a nearby wall, making a huge hole and dust to fly. Everyone's eyes go big and they gasp at what they have just witnessed. As she gets up to her seat and heads to the counter to retrieve her food, she can hear the spectators expressing their shock and questioning who she is.

She wipes her mouth to prevent the drool from falling as she is handed a full plate of delicious food. A small plate is put to the side for her furry companion and they both happily dig into their food. As she munches away, she looks over at the former champion. Being in her hungry state, she did not see it at first, but she can sense that his body is holding one of the souls that need to be returned to the shadows.

"Well this is convenient," she says, taking another bite of her food. It doesn't seem like this soul is on the stronger side.

"How's it feel getting beat by a little kid?" a man snickers as the champion get off the floor. He pushes the teaser out of the way and takes out a gun, pointing it directly at Cairo.

"Hey man! It's not that serious!" one of the customers says, waving his hands to get him to put the gun down.

"I'll show you…make a fool out a me, eh?" He fires off the gun and the bullet is a direct hit to her forehead. Everyone else runs out of the restaurant in a panic as the champion grins. But his confident grin is quickly washed away when he sees her still sitting at the table, eating her food without a care in the world. The dented bullet falls to the ground beside her.

"Get under the table, Ebo," she says calmly and the cat obeys.

He fires more shots as she stands up and begins to approach him. Each bullet bounces off her body until she is standing directly in front of him and he has no more bullets to fire off.

"You know, if you wouldn't have made such a scene and if I didn't have any food at all, you just might have gotten away," Cairo says with a smile.

"Curse you—" Her palm hits his chest, exposing the evil soul and she whips out her wand to open the gateway to the Shadow Realm. He screams as he is sucked in the portal and it closes. She twirls her wand a few times and it disappears.

"Come on, Ebo. Time to go!" she says walking a few steps, but she stops when the cat doesn't follow. When she turns around, the cat is sprawled out by her plate with a belly full of food and it meows with satisfaction. Sweat drops down the side of her head and she dims her eyes. "Get it together."

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Joey and Tristan walk on the train tracks, following the trail in hopes that it will lead them to Yami and Téa. After being stranded in the middle of nowhere with no way to contact anyone, they figure that would be the best route to go.

Tristan groans loudly, his feet starting to ache from walking on the uneven surface of the tracks. "We really should've packed some food to go," he complains, feeling his stomach turning.

"Quit your whining," Joey says. But he soon changes his tone when his stomach starts growling as well. "Okay, yeah. Maybe you're right."

"Yeah, exactly."

From the corner of his eye, a light shines from his pocket and he takes out his deck. "It's the Claw of Hermos," he says and he narrows his eyes, studying it. "I hope Téa and the pharaoh are alright."

Yami grunts as he gets blown back by a monster known as an Orichalcos Soldier. It has glowing red eyes, armor all over its body and it towers over Yami, being three times his size. Unbeknownst to him, Rafael had found his location and summoned the soldier with his master's help using the Orichalcos stone around his neck. The Orichalcos Soldier has Yami cornered within the Seal with one goal and one goal only. To steal his soul.

"He needs the Eye of Timaeus," says Iron Heart. He takes the card out of his pocket and rushes toward where Yami and the solider are battling.

"Grandpa!" Chris calls after him.

"Oh no you don't," Dartz says from his lair. He uses his magic to sends strikes of lightening down on the field in an attempt to stop the old man.

"Pharaoh you must use this card!" Iron Heart shouts as he gets closer and closer. "It's the only way!"

Yami turns around and tries to meet him halfway, but he is quickly reminded that he cannot leave the seal. A strike of lightning finally hits Iron Heart and he disappears, leaving the card on the ground.

"Grandpa!" Chris cries as her eyes begin to water.

"No! Iron Heart!" Yami yells.

"Come on Sky," Chris commands her dog and she hops on its back. She has to finish what her grandfather has started. When they were able to talk, her grandfather knew that Yami was someone special and that he was the chosen one to defeat Dartz.

"No, Chris! Turn back! It's too dangerous!" Yami pleads, banging on the seal. But she is determined to get the card to him. She scoops the card up and continues on her mission as Téa looks on helplessly.

"Pharaoh! My grandfather wanted me you to have th—" She screams as the lightning throws her off her dog. As her dog becomes victim to the Orichalcos, she drags her way to the seal with her remaining strength.

Yami's heart pounds as he watches the little girl slowly make her way. He crouches down when she finally makes it and she is able to give him the card. She smiles weakly. "I know you will be the one to save us all. Farewell…"

"No! Chris!" he yells. The Orichalcos Soldier growls behind him and he turns around, narrowing his eyes at the monster who caused Iron Heart and Chris's demise. He closes his eyes, holding the legendary card in his hand. "I truly am sorry for everything I've done. Please. This isn't for me, but for all of the lives that are counting on me. I will never betray your trust again." He thinks of the lives of Yugi, Iron Heart, Chris and his friends that are depending on him to defeat this evil. He made a promise and he intends to keep it.

The card begins to glow and Yami opens his eyes. "I summon the Eye of Timaeus!" he calls out and the huge green dragon appears in front of him. "And I also summon The Dark Magician Girl!" The female magician appears, twirling her wand before pointing it at the soldier.

Hiding behind a large rock, Rafael narrows his eyes as the pharaoh becomes victorious in his duel against the Orichalcos Soldier. Unfortunately he's going to have to report back to Dartz that he has failed once again.

After the battle is over, Téa joins Yami at his side and they both look into the sky, seeing the same rainbow pattern they saw when all of this first began. "We're running out of time," Yami says, an uneasy feeling overcoming him.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

So the Seal of Orichalcos portion of this story is about to end so we can get to the Tournament (filler) and then Dawn of the Duel, where you can see more about Yami and Cairo's past in detail. Please review!


	13. Trust

Cairo sighs as she puts away her wand. Another soul has been returned to the Shadow Realm. The souls that she has been coming across recently have been easy to send back. They are the weaker of the bunch. She wonders if there are any more stronger souls out there that she has to worry about.

"As long as they don't get in touch with this Dartz guy I should be fine," she says, thinking back to Nubia and Hasani. Then it hits her. Hasani hasn't been captured yet. He was able to escape when she managed to get him out of her body when he tried to possess her. "Well that's just great. And I don't even know who or what he'll possess next." She slaps her forehead and groans, sliding her hand down her face.

Ebo, who is standing in front of her, meows and she looks down at him. His eyes are fixated on the sky and she follows his gaze. A rainbow pattern shines in the air. "Normally such things would be deemed beautiful. But with everything going on, I suspect it has something to do with this beast everyone has been talking about."

A private airplane with the initials "KC" fly overhead, descending quickly, almost as if it's out of control and Cairo arches an eyebrow.

In another area, Téa and Yami are witnessing the same exact thing. "Pharaoh look!" Téa yells, pointing at the plane.

"Is that Kaiba's?" Yami asks, watching fearfully as the plane begins to nosedive toward the ground.

"Oh no! It's gonna crash!"

Meow.

They both turn around and see Ebo sitting there licking his paws and washing his face. Téa looks at the cat questionably. "If you're here then that means…" A sudden gust of wind blows and they both shield their faces as Cairo whooshes past them, flying into the sky toward the plane.

Yami looks up and gasps in realization. "Cairo!"

From inside the plane, Kaiba sits in the cockpit, trying to land the plane safely. But his attempts are failing and panic starts to set in. It all started when he and his brother were ambushed by Allister who had taken over the plane. He challenged Kaiba to a rematch, but ultimately lost his soul against Kaiba's legendary card. Moments after the duel, the plane started to lose control.

"No…this can't be how it ends," he says between clenched teeth. He gasps when he sees a little girl at a further distance, floating in front of the nose of the plan with her arms outstretched and her hands out. "What the—?" He grunts as the plane makes impact with her hands. Although she has caught them, the plane continues to go in a downward spiral as she attempts to slow them down.

Mokuba joins his brother in the cockpit. "It's that girl we saw at Pegasus' headquarters!" he exclaims.

Cairo glances back, seeing the ground quickly approaching and she grits her teeth, pushing against the nose of the plane to slow it down. "A little heavier than I expected," she says with a grin. And on top of that, her stomach begins to growl. She didn't get to eat all her free food at that town where she won the arm wrestling contest. She groans. "Not now, tummy."

She closes her eyes before opening them, revealing her glowing purple eyes as she kicks her strength up a notch. She manages to slow the plane down just enough as her feet hit the ground, sliding back a hundred feet until they finally come to a complete stop.

"She did it!" Téa exclaims.

"Now there's something you don't see everyday," comes a familiar voice. Yami and Téa look to their right to see none other than Joey and Tristan standing at a distance.

"Joey! Tristan!" Téa calls out.

Joey and Tristan turn at the sound of their names being called. "Eh? It's Téa and Yugi!"

The door to the airplane opens, revealing Mokuba and Kaiba carrying Allister. "Oh great, the dweebs are here," Kaiba says with dread when he sees the pharaoh and the others waiting for him on the ground. He jumps down and places Allister on the dirt.

"Whoa. Did you guys duel on top of a moving plane?" Joey asks with shock.

"Maybe I did," Seto says. "Don't you geeks have someone else to annoy?"

"Kaiba, we can't do this without you and you know it," Yami says. "So please. Accept your destiny and help us stop this evil."

"If I had a dime for every time you've used the word destiny, I'd be even richer."

Mokuba looks over and sees Cairo walking from the front of the plane, dusting off her hands and clothes. "It's you!" Mokuba says, running up to her. "Thank you for saving us."

"Anytime," she replies, cracking a smile.

"You've come back!" Téa says as the rest of the group except Kaiba join her and Mokuba.

"You guys really can't stay out of trouble, can you," Cairo says. She had intended on not involving herself on matters revolving around the Orichalcos, but they were making it extremely difficult not to.

"Trouble is kinda our thing," Joey jokes, placing a hand behind his head. "So does that mean you'll stick around?"

Cairo hums, looking up with thought and folding her arms. Mokuba's phone rings before she can give an answer and he places it up to his ear.

"Hello…Yes…What?! How is that possible?"

"What is it Mokuba?" Seto asks.

"Dartz brought every single share of Kaiba Corp," he informs his brother to everyone's shock.

"What?!"

"The only way I think they were able to do it is by hacking into our accounts. But how'd they get past our security systems?"

"We're obviously dealing with someone powerful."

"What now?" Tristan asks.

"We need to get to the museum and decipher those ruins," Yami replies.

"My research team is already there," Kaiba tells them. "And they should be forwarding me images any moment now."

"So you made sure your team got there before Dartz did."

"What did you expect? Come on you guys. You know my brother is always one step ahead of everyone," Mokuba brags as Kaiba pulls out his laptop and types up a few things. The images finally come through, but the quality isn't all that good.

"I guess this is the best they could get," Kaiba says before smirking. "No matter. We'll just have to pay a visit to Kaiba Corp."

"Are you serious?" Téa says. "Dartz probably has a trap waiting for you there. Would it be a good idea to go?"

"The only way we can process these images fast enough is by using the technology that only Kaiba Corp has. So we have no choice."

Yami nods in agreement. "Kaiba's right."

"Okay, so now that that's settled, who's all going?" Joey asks.

"Kaiba and I will go," Yami replies before setting his eyes on Cairo. He walks over to her and she looks up at him. "Can you transport the others back with the Professor, Duke and Rebecca?" She nods and flings her wrist, causing a light portal to appear beside them.

"Holy cow," Mokuba says, amazed by everything that Cairo is capable of.

"Once they step inside, they will be teleported to them," she says.

"Well you heard the girl. Let's go!" Joey yells.

"Be careful you guys," Téa says.

Once they leave, Cairo makes another portal appear. This one will take the pharaoh and Kaiba directly to their destination as well. Yami gets down on one knee. "Thank you Cairo. What will you do?"

She looks away. "Well…" she starts off, not quite knowing the answer herself. She feels so conflicted. She knows what she should be doing, but her heart is telling her to stick around and help out however she can. Yami waits patiently for her to respond, although Kaiba is doing otherwise. He steps into the portal without a second thought, leaving the both of them behind.

"I just don't know…"

"I know what Tristan said is still bothering you." She quickly looks at him. How does he know that? "But I trust you. And so does Téa and Joey and Duke. Tristan will come around."

"You…trust me?"

"Of course," he replies, a smile forming on his lips. "I may not remember every single little thing about our past, but your present actions tell me that you want to do good in the world. And before the darkness took over all those years ago, you wanted to do the same."

Cairo's eyes widen and her heart drops. She takes in a deep breath to keep herself from getting emotional. It means the world to her that he sees her as good in his eyes. "Thank you." Is all she manages to say to keep things short. She knows he has important things to do. "You should go. I'll go be with the others in the mean time."

"Cairo…" She nods with a smile.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Kaiba and Yami run down a tunnel they accessed by gong down a manhole. It is lit by dim lights on either side of them and there is an elevator door up ahead.

"Where are we going, Kaiba?" Yami asks in between breaths.

"We're taking a shortcut. It's an underground passage to my central computer designed for emergencies," he replies as they finally reach the elevator doors. He takes a card out of his pocket and swipes it to open them. "Now if Dartz's brute squad is guarding the area, they'll never see us go inside." The elevator heads up and all Kaiba can think about is how Dartz was able to take control of his company. He vows that Dartz will not get away with making a mockery out of him.

A huge thump that comes from the top of the elevator causes it to stop and the lights within it to turn off. "Who's there?" Yami yells as they both look up.

"I don't want to stick around to find out." Kaiba uses the duel disk on his wrist to jam into the buttons in the elevator and they both manually open the doors. They aren't expecting to see a room full of duel monsters, all of them having the Seal of Orichalcos on their foreheads.

"Kaiba. You realize these monsters aren't holograms, don't you?"

"If you're suggesting that we're surrounded by real monsters, you're as insane as the lunatics that took over Kaiba Corp!" Kaiba shoots back in denial. "These things can't be real!"

"They are. Believe me. Somehow a doorway has been opened up and monsters for a parallel universe have entered into our world," Yami explains before smirking. "Unless you have a better explanation."

"I think you're nuts. But this is no time to argue."

They rush down the hall, preparing their duel disks to defend themselves against the monsters. "I call forth my Celtic Guardian!" Yami summons and his monster equipped with a sword appears.

"Go Vorse Raider!" Kaiba yells and his monster along with the pharaoh's hold up the evil monsters in just enough time for Kaiba to swipe his card at a nearby door and they enter safely inside. Or so they thought. The next room has two Orichalcos Soldiers guarding the entrance to Kaiba's computer. They both stop in their tracks and Kaiba grits his teeth. "We don't have time for this!"

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Back at the trailer, Rebecca types away at her computer. After being in contact with Kaiba and the pharaoh regarding their plants to go to Kaiba Corp, she has been on standby to receive the images. Joey, Cairo and Mokuba stand in a huddle behind her while Téa and Tristan are elsewhere, attempting to get help from the police regarding the Orichalcos.

"Come on, what's taking them so long?" Joey asks, getting impatient.

"I hope they were able to get to my brother's computer okay," Mokuba says with concern.

A message comes up on Rebecca's laptop and she clicks on it. The images and information that they have been waiting for have finally come in. "I guess they were able to make it there after all," Rebecca says and she delves deeper into the images. A symbol pops up on her screen. "Hmm…let's see. That symbol looks really familiar."

Mokuba looks closely and gasps in realization. "I've seen that before too! My brother has told me of this company called Paradias. It's a secret financial organization. No one's ever seen them, but rumor has it they control a small piece of every company in the world."

In the lab, Kaiba slams his fist down on the desk. "No! It is them!" he yells after seeing the symbol on his screen. "You don't know what we're up against. The President of Paradias is Dartz!" An image of Dartz wearing a purple suit appears on the screen and Yami narrows his eyes.

"That's him…"

Joey crouches down next to Rebecca. Finally they have more information on this Dartz person and Joey is determined to make him and his henchmen pay for all the pain he's caused. "Quick Rebecca. While you still have it up. Where is the location of Paradias headquarters?"

"Let's see," Rebecca says and she types in a few things before the address comes up on her screen. "Got it!"

"Here I come you creeps!" Joey yells and he runs toward the door and places his hand on the knob.

"Joey wait," Cairo says. "Would it be wise to charge in there without a plan?"

"Oh I've got a plan alright. And that's beating their sorry butts!" And with that he runs out, slamming the door behind him.

As he runs down the street, Valon watches him from on top of one of the building's roofs and he readies his duel disk. "Time to show Joey Wheeler who's boss."

Cairo drops her head. "Well I tried," she sighs.

"Joey's been known to rush head first into things without thinking," Rebecca says, shaking her head.

Meanwhile, Téa and Tristan run back in the direction of the trailer. After trying to inform the police as to what is happening, it turns out that they have been under Dartz's spell, sporting the Orichalcos seal on their foreheads. That's when they made a run for it.

"We have to tell the others," Téa pants as they stop off at a safer distance.

Before Tristan can respond, he sees Joey rushing off in the opposite direction where they're going. "Hey Joey!" Tristan calls out. "Where are you going?" But his friend doesn't answer and Tristan groans. "I'm gonna see if I can catch up with him. Téa, you head back to the trailer and let everyone know what's going on."

"Right," Téa says. "Be careful."

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Cairo sits crossed legged on the bench next to Rebecca, watching with fascination as she types on her computer. Before coming here, Cairo has never seen one before in her life. Mokuba sits across from them with his eyebrow raised. Being around computers and technology is something he is very accustomed too. It is a huge part of his life. So the fact that Cairo is wowed by just a laptop confuses him.

"Sheesh Cairo," he says. "You act as if you've never seen a computer before."

"I have not," she replies, lifting her finger to tap her chin. "We didn't have such technology growing up."

"Eh? What do you mean? You look to be around our age,"

"Don't let looks deceive you, Mokuba," Rebecca cuts in, not breaking any eye contact with her screen. "She may look young, but she's actually close to 5,000 years old."

Mokuba blinks a few times and his mouth goes agape. "Wait, what? That's not possible."

"So is a little girl saving a plane from crashing with her bare hands."

"Touché."

Cairo hovers over one of the buttons on the computer. "What does this do?" she asks innocently, pressing down the button with a music icon on it. The music blares over the computer speakers, causing them all to cover their ears with clenched teeth. Rebecca clicks the mute button and sighs in relief.

At the same time, Yami and Kaiba step into the trailer and Mokuba smiles. "You made it!" He jumps out of his seat to approach his older brother. "We were worried about you guys for a second there."

"We're fine," Kaiba assures him. "And now that we know who we're up against, it time to crash their little party."

"Well we better get there quick," Rebecca says. "Joey went up to their headquarters on his own."

"We have to get there before he does," Yami says.

"He better not do anything stupid," Kaiba growls in annoyance.

The next person to step in the trailer is Téa who tries to catch her breath after running all the way back. "Bad news guys. Dartz has gotten control over the police too, so we're on our own."

"Wait, where's Tristan?" Rebecca asks. "Wasn't he with you?"

"He saw Joey and ran after him," Téa tells them. "I'm not sure if he was able to catch up to him or not."

Cairo looks out of the nearby window, a bad feeling overcoming her. It isn't safe for Tristan to be out there on his own. As much as he has said bad things about her and accused of her being evil, she still can't help but be concerned. She gets up and walks over to the door. "I'm going to look for him."

"Cairo, it's not safe," Yami says walking up to her. "I can't risk anyone else putting their lives in danger."

"But it's even more dangerous for Tristan," she points out.

"I hate to say it, but she has a point," Téa says.

"Trust me," she says, looking up to him.

"Promise me you'll be careful," Yami says and she nods before running out.

"Sounds like we need to get a move on then," Duke says, coming out of another room and overhearing the conversation. "I'll drive."

In another part of the city, Tristan leans up against a light post, wiping the sweat off his forehead. A failed attempt to follow Joey has left him exhausted. He doesn't know where his best friend is headed to, but from the glimpse he saw of him, Joey looked determined. He sits down on the sidewalk and sighs, not knowing where to go from here. "I think I'm lost," he says to himself.

He hears a growl coming from behind him and he cringes, slowly turning around until he is face to face with an Orichalcos soldier.

"OH NO!"

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

There's a picture of Cairo on the story's cover now! I just did a quick doodle, but at least after all these years, you know what she looks like now lol. Let me know what you think and leave a review!


	14. Victorious

"OH NO!" Tristan yells, quickly diving out the way when the Orichalcos swipes at him with its sharp claws. It roars again and walks a few steps as Tristan starts backing up until he's up against a brick wall. He can't go out like this. Not without a fight. He lifts up his fists defensively, preparing to do whatever he can to stand up against the monster.

"Alright! Come at me!" The monster growls and prepares yet another attack with its claws. Who is he kidding, he thinks to himself. There's no way he can square up with something like that. He begins to tremble with fear. "Aw man, I'm a goner!"

Right before it can release the attack, Cairo lands a flying kick, sending it colliding into numerous parked cars.

"You saved me," Tristan says, blinking a few times. He quickly tries to put on a front. "I could've taken it on, no problem."

"Uh huh." Cairo shakes her head. He is so unbelievable. A light in the sky catches her eye as she watches it descend down onto the soldier. She narrows her eyes. "A soul." The body of the soldier glows and it stands up, ready for another round. But something seems a little different. She closes her eyes, concentrating on its energy and she gasps.

"This time, you're through," Hasani says through the monster's body. His mouth opens and he prepares to shoot an energy blast at Cairo and Tristan.

"Move!" Cairo yells, pushing him out of the way, getting blasted instead.

"Cairo!" Tristan shouts, seeing her get blown back.

In the trailer, Téa looks out the window, hoping that she will catch glimpse of Tristan and Joey. "Where could they be?"

Duke scans the street left and right, hoping for a sign. He turns the wheel of the trailer to go down another street. The headlights reveal Tristan, standing alone in the middle of the street, looking up toward the sky. "It's Tristan!" Duke exclaims, catching everyone's attention.

"Tristan?" Rebecca asks, wondering if she heard him correctly. They all look through the front window of the trailer to see for themselves.

"It is Tristan!" Mokuba verifies before frowning. "What is he looking at?"

Their answer comes in the form of Cairo crashing through the ceiling of the trailer, landing in the middle of the floor on her back, surrounded by them all.

"Whoa! Cairo!" Téa yells in shock.

"Cairo! What's going on?! What happened?!" Yami shouts, edging up to her. She slowly opens her eyes and looks up through the hole in the ceiling she has just caused and her eyes widen with shock when she sees two humongous feet coming down. She gags, feeling the feet slamming down on her small body, sending her through the floor of the trailer and down through the concrete, landing her in the sewer.

Everyone except Kaiba runs outside, meeting up with Tristan who looks a little shaken up and concerned for her. "Tristan!" Téa calls out to him.

"That guy…" he starts off, trembling and pointing at the large hole. "That Hasani guy is back. And he's possessed the Orichalcos Soldier to get back at Cairo."

Yami grits his teeth. He vaguely remembers Hasani being able to make an escape after his failed attempt of controlling Cairo. A part of him didn't expect to hear from him again. But seeing the great lengths he has taken in the past in order to get his revenge, he guesses he shouldn't be surprised at all.

The monster encloses its claws around Cairo's face, throwing her back up onto the surface and she lands hard on the concrete.

"Cairo!" Yami runs up to her as she sits up.

"He's strong," she says, wiping the blood off her mouth as the monster approaches.

"How nice," Hasani says. "I have you both here together. Now I can finish you both off at once."

Cairo narrows her eyes and quickly stands up, stumbling a bit. "Not if I can help it." She outstretches both of her hands. "EAT THIS!" She shoots a powerful magical blast and he flies back a few feet. Not wanting to allow him to get up, she quickly dashes at him, kicking his body up into the air. She flies up, locking both of her hands and uses a great amount of force to slam him back down to the earth.

She lands on the ground, walking up to him. "You've caused enough trouble. It's time for you to go." She whips out her wand. "I told you from the beginning. There will be no revenge happening on my watch."

Hasani slowly sits upward, clenching his sharp teeth. "No…I won't let it go down like this!" He manages to stand up and Cairo stands a few feet in front of him with her wand pointed at him.

"Enough is enough. You tried and failed. Now either go back nicely, or I will demolish you."

Hasani snickers. "Oh little Cairo. You're so pathetic. Look at you trying to redeem yourself," he says with a grin. "No matter what you do, you'll be stuck in the Shadow Realm with the rest of us! No amount of good you do will ever change that!"

Cairo looks down to the ground with lowered eyes. Oh how she is sick and tired of him and the other escaped souls constantly bringing that up, every chance they can get. She knows nothing will change, so why does that bother her so much that they always bring it up? Maybe deep down, she is hoping that somehow things would change. Maybe the gods would see the good that she is doing and release her from her prison.

In a moment of weakness, her wand starts to lower and Hasani quickly takes notice. Yami notices this as well and his eyes widen as Hasani prepares another attack.

"WATCH OUT CAIRO!" She looks up, but not quickly enough as she is blown away by another blast. "I got you!" He holds out his hands and the impact from Cairo hitting him lands them both on the ground.

"No! Pharaoh! Cairo!" Téa yells worriedly.

"Get up guys!" Tristan shouts, clenching his fists.

Hasani laughs as he approaches the pharaoh and his daughter. He opens his mouth to blast them both at the same time as they life motionless on the floor. Cairo is the first to open her eyes and she gasps, springing up and standing in front of her father protectively with her arms crossed as the blast hits her.

She grits her teeth as the blast is nonstop and she tries to keep it away from the pharaoh. "I won't let you hurt him!" she yells. The skin on her arms begins to unravel from the immense heat from Hasani's attack and smoke emits from her body. She doesn't know how much more her body can take, but she is determined to protect her father at all costs.

"I can't…change what…I did in my past," she says between clenched teeth, taking a step, one by one to get the blast further away from the pharaoh. Yami's eyes flutter open and he looks on with shock as Cairo protects him from the attack. "I hurt countless people, caused massive destruction, and betrayed my loved ones. But all of that isn't me. I'm not evil. And I'm not going to let you hurt my dad!" She yells, releasing her arms so that Hasani's attack is deflected.

Hasani cries out when he is hit by his own attack and he drops to his knees. He grimaces. "Why you…You'll pay!" When he tries to get up, Cairo shoots a magical blast of her own and he grunts, being pushed back some more.

Cairo's legs feel wobbly and she falls to her hands and knees, panting heavily. If only she can manage to whip out her wand while Hasani is weakened so that she can send him back to the Shadow Realm. But she doesn't have any strength left in her. Her eyes roll back and she collapses on the ground to everyone's shock.

"Cairo, no!" Tristan yells. Everything he assumed about her was wrong. She truly is good. For her to constantly put her life on the line for others and now for her own father. Someone who is truly evil wouldn't do such a thing.

Hasani lifts her up by the shirt and her head dangles back from being out cold. Her body is limp and Hasani seizes this opportunity to land the final blow before his own strength is depleted. He lifts his claw and grins weakly. "Too bad. If you weren't so weak at the moment, I'd be done for," he says. "Now to finally get you out of the way so I can finally have my revenge on the pharaoh."

"Guess again," Yami says, walking toward him as the eye of Wdjat glows on his forehead from his Millennium Puzzle being activated. His eyes are focused on Hasani who backs away slowly in fear. "She may not be able to send you to the Shadow Realm, but I can!" Hasani grits his teeth. He has forgotten that the Millennium Puzzle around the pharaoh's neck is capable of that.

"NO! NO! I WAS SO CLOSE!"

"Now Hasani…I banish you to the Shadow Realm for all eternity!" he yells, the eye on his forehead glowing brighter and Hasani screams. The soul leaves the body of the Orichalcos Soldier and disappears in a ball of light.

"The pharaoh did it!" Tristan exclaims.

"Now we won't ever have to hear from that guy again," Téa says with relief.

Cairo's body falls as the Orichalcos Soldier falls lifelessly to the ground. Yami rushes over to her and cradles her in his arms. "Cairo. Cairo, speak to me please." She is covered in cuts, bruises and blood and her body feels frail.

A light groan comes from her and she finally opens her eyes, looking up at him. The eye of Wdjat still appears on his forehead. "Dad…" She tries to sit up, but she hisses from the pain that fills her body.

"Conserve your strength. Hasani is no more now," Yami tells her and her eyes widen.

"B-but how?" she asks before looking down at the Millennium Puzzle and then to the glowing symbol on his head. Now it all makes sense. "Thank you."

"I should be thanking you."

"Hey pharaoh! Is she alright?" Tristan asks as he, Téa and Duke join his side. He locks eyes at Cairo and sighs. "Cairo, I'm sorry I—"

Cairo shakes her head, managing to crack a smile. "Don't worry about it."

"You need medical attention," Téa says.

"No…" Cairo says. "There's nothing any ordinary doctor can do for me. My body will heal on its own. I just need to rest." She then looks back at her father. "I have no doubt that you will defeat Dartz and save Yugi and all of humanity," she says before falling unconscious.

Yami stands up, carrying her bridal style back to the trailer and he looks down at her. "Cairo…I'm proud to call you my daughter. You're strong, selfless and always willing to help no matter what." He places her down on the couch, moving her hair out of her face. "Rest well, Cairo. You've done more than enough. I will defeat Dartz...no matter what."

Duke looks to the huge hole in the ceiling and on the floor from the earlier battle. He runs up to the driver's seat and takes a deep breath, not knowing if the trailer will start or not because of the damage. He turns the key, and miraculously it still works. "Welp, I guess we will be going to find Joey and to Dartz headquarters...with a...huge hole in the trailer," he says, rubbing the back of his head.

"About time," Kaiba says with folded arms, tapping his index finger impatiently. "If you all are through with your nonsense, I'd like to get this show on the road already. We've already wasted enough time."

"Cool it, rich boy!" Tristan snaps.

Yami looks outside the window, focused on his next move. It has all boiled down to this. Once they locate Joey, they will finally be able to face off against Dartz and save the world. He know this will not be an easy task. But he will stop at nothing to save the world and restore peace.

His eyes then land on Cairo as she rests on the couch with a blue blanket over her. When they first met, he can admit that he was somewhat guarded around her and wasn't sure if she was someone he could trust. She just swooped her way into their lives. But his opinion of her quickly changed. She constantly put her mission to the side for him and for that, he was grateful. She even went as far as attempting to save Yugi from getting his soul taken by the Orichalcos, even if that meant getting in trouble with the gods.

Cairo was a quiet girl and a little bit shy, cursed with an immense amount of power by an evil force. But regardless of her circumstances, she was determined to use those powers for good and prove that her past did not define her. Now it was time for her to take a much needed break. He would handle the rest. And maybe when this is all over, she will be open to sharing more about his past.

_It would be an intense duel. The three legendary dragons would be summoned in an attempt to defeat Dartz once and for all. The Great Beast would prove to be a force to be reckoned with, bringing Yami, Joey and Kaiba to their knees. But after much back and forth, the pharaoh would finally be able to summon the three Egyptian Gods once again to gain victory over Dartz. _

_The souls of everyone who lost their soul to the Orichalcos would finally be released and he would be reunited with Yugi. The power of the Orichalcos that once controlled Dartz and so many others would be no more. His minions that were controlled would go back to living their normal lives. And more importantly, peace would finally be restored to the Earth. _

_But the mission isn't of the pharaoh wouldn't be over. Not yet_

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The story isn't over yet! There's still more to come! Stay tuned! For now, leave a review! :)


	15. A Father's Promise

_"__Cairo…" A soft feminine voice calls out to her. "Cairo, wake up."_

_Just a few more seconds, she says in her head with her eyes closed. She's tired. Drained. And wants nothing more but to be left alone for a minute before she goes back to doing her responsibilities._

_"__You're just as stubborn as ever." _

_That voice. It sounds so familiar. So comforting. She grunts as she opens her eyes before quickly shielding them from the bright light. She feels a presence in front of her and squints to see a silhouette of a woman. She narrows her eyes to get a better picture, but is unsuccessful, only being able to see the silhouette. She appears to have spiky hair and her pleated skirt flares out from her hips. _

_"__I'm so proud of you."_

_Cairo sighs in defeat and closes her eyes, not wanting to strain them any longer from the bright light. _

_"__I miss you," the voice says._

_Cairo gasps. Could it be? "Mom? Is that you?" She tries to stand but her legs give out from under her. She crawls a few inches with her eyes shut tightly. "Mom!" She reaches out her hand and draws in a breath when she feels another hand holding onto hers. "I miss you too…"_

_"__I'll see you again someday," her mother says, her grip loosening. "I promise."_

_"__Please don't go!"_

The sun shining through the hole in the mobile trailer warms her face. Her black hair lays scattered on the soft pillow and the cosy, blue blanket reaches just below her armpit. The birds happily chirp outside and the sound of rushing water from a nearby waterfall fills her ears. Her eyes slowly open and scan the trailer. She is surprised to see Joey laying on the floor sleeping along with Tristan and Duke. The last thing she remembers is them having to look for him after he ran off to find Dartz.

Dartz.

She stumbles off of the couch and runs outside, only to be greeted by fresh air and a soft breeze. They are no longer in the city, but at what seems to be a forest preserve. She walks up to a nearby river, viewing her reflection. The injuries that she had sustained in her last battle are all healed up and she feels almost as good as new. But why are they here of all places? The atmosphere is much different than before. It went from darkness and desperation to peace and quiet. Just how long was she asleep for?

A shadow appears alongside her of a familiar spiky haired figure. "Father," she says, turning around and immediately her heart drops. Same hair, same colored eyes, but more innocent and he is shorter. That's not her father. Her mouth drops when she realizes it's none other than Yugi standing there with a smile. "Yugi?!" She runs up to him and grabs his hands as he chuckles.

"Long time no see, Cairo," he greets.

"You're here! But how?" she asks. Is this a dream? How is it possible that he is standing in front of her right now? Have they even defeated Dartz yet? She needs answers.

"Well, you were asleep for quite a bit. But we finally were able to defeat Dartz with the help of the legendary dragons and the Egyptian God cards," he informs her. She drops his hands and places her hand on her chest as it pounds. This is way too much to take in. How in the world did she sleep through all that?

"I'm…glad to hear," she says, still trying to process this information. But at the end of the day, as long as he's here and peace has been restored, that's all that matters. Her father did exactly what he set out to do— not that she doubted him for one second.

"I just wanted to thank you for all your help."

"There's really no need."

"The pharaoh told me everything. How you're his daughter and how much you've helped along the way." He thinks back to when Cairo tried to save him from getting his soul taken by the Orichalcos. And even though she was unsuccessful, the fact that she went as far as to do that, meant a lot to him.

"It's no wonder why you were so tired," he continues. "You've done so much."

"It's nothing, really…"

"So what will you do now?"

"There's still more souls out there that I need to catch. I can still sense them." She looks down at her reflection in the water. "Hopefully now since Dartz is gone, none of them can get a hold of any strange powers."

"I hope so too. You've gone through enough already." He picks up a nearby pebble and throws it into the river. It bounces a few times before sinking and he tries it again. Fascinated by what he's doing, Cairo looks around for a rock that she can throw as well. Yugi tosses the small pebble into the water and he looks over at Cairo. His face drops when he sees her carrying a large boulder over her head with a blank stare.

"Uh…Cairo?" She throws the boulder and shoots across the river to the other side, crashing and toppling over a tree and Yugi sweat drops, laughing nervously.

"So where do you go from here?" she asks. But before he can answer, they hear quick footsteps running through the grass.

"Yugi!" Rebecca calls out with excitement as Téa, Joey, Tristan and Duke follow behind. Cairo takes one step to the side as Rebecca throws her arms around Yugi, causing him to lose his balance and fall. Téa's eye twitches, feeling very annoyed at the sight of them.

"Uh…hi Rebecca. Can you please let go now? I can't breathe," he says politely and she lets him stand.

"We got a message from Kaiba," Tristan informs him.

"He's holding a tournament tomorrow and he wants you, Rebecca and I to participate!" Joey says excitedly.

"He certainly didn't waste any time," Duke comments.

"Oh!" Is all Yugi manages to say. Joey tilts his head in confusion at his friend's response. He was expecting a much bigger reaction.

'What's wrong Yugi?' Yami asks, appearing beside him in ghost form.

'Well, I know you wanted to get the show going with finally fulfilling your destiny and uncovering the mysteries of your past.'

Yami chuckles. 'Thank you, Yugi. But it's alright. I've waited over 5,000 years to find out about my past. I really don't think a day or two is gonna hurt,' he assures him and Yugi smiles.

'Thanks pharaoh.'

"So are you down for the tournament or not?" Joey asks.

"Yeah! It should be a lot of fun! I can't wait!" Yugi replies. It would be nice to actually be able to duel for fun and not duel with everyone's lives hanging in the balance for a change.

"Will you be going too, Cairo?" Téa asks and the girl raises an eyebrow in suspicion, remembering the last time Téa asked her that same question and was stuck shopping with her for a day.

"If I say yes, will you subject me to your little shopping spree?"

Téa and the others laugh and begin to joke amongst each other and Yugi smiles at thought of them being able to hang out for a minute before going to the tournament.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

The streets are crowded with people, dressed appropriately with shorts, tank tops and flip flops due to the warm weather. It's no wonder Florida is called the Sunshine State. There's plenty of sunshine to go around and a lot of people seem to be in pleasant moods.

Cairo frowns, walking with her arms folded, having been bumped into far too many times. She is starting to think she should have stayed behind. Her eyes narrow and she groans, tapping her arm with her index finger. Yami appears alongside Yugi in his ghost form and they both exchange looks. Without saying a word, they nod and make a switch. Noticing the change, she looks at her father from the corner of her eye.

"You alright?" he asks as Téa, Tristan and Joey chatter about.

"This is not my kinda scene." She grunts when someone else bumps into her and she shoots them a glare. The guy with sunglasses, a black tank and red shorts whips around, shaking his fist at her.

"What where you're going kid!"

"Maybe you should do the same," Yami says defensively.

"What was that?!"

"Hey! Back off punk!" Joey says, coming to the rescue.

"Yeah! You're really pathetic yelling at a kid!" Tristan joins in to Cairo's surprise. To think at one point he wasn't fond of her. Now he's coming to her rescue. The man waves his hand dismissively and storms off.

Cairo smiles. "Thank you Tristan."

Joey smells a tasty aroma in the air and his stomach immediately begins to growl in response. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving! I'm gonna get a bite to eat!" He rushes off in the direction of the food and Tristan follows.

Téa shakes her head and then turns to the pharaoh. "I'm gonna go join them. You two should take this time to have some bonding time," she suggests with a smile. She knows that it is pretty unlikely that they will be able to have time like this to themselves again. She waves and then goes about her way.

"So…where would you like to go?" Yami asks.

"Anywhere but here," she replies with dimmed eyes after being bumped into again.

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Cairo breathes a sigh of relief as she and her father take a walk in the park. Compared to the busy streets, the park is a lot calmer and there aren't a lot of people around. She stretches her arms and puts her hands behind her back.

"Tell me, Cairo. What did you enjoy doing in the past?" Yami asks as they continue to walk down the dirt path.

"Hmmm…" She looks up in thought, having to dig deep into her memory bank to remember. "Well I liked to run around in the palace, practicing my spells any chance I could get. And play pranks on Priest Seto."

Yami blinks. "Seto?" She nods. "I had almost forgotten that there is a past version of him as well."

"Yeah. But you'd be pleased to find that he isn't as stubborn as this present version. He's actually quite loyal to you."

"Really?" That part shocks him. The present Seto is so bent on working alone, so he can't imagine Seto actually being loyal or taking orders from him.

She giggles. "Ah, you're gonna be in for loads of surprises when you finally revisit your past. Like who my mom is." They stop by a tree with a nearby bench and they sit down to catch their breath. Cairo smiles and swings her legs back and forth, thinking about her mother.

"What is she like?" Yami asks, gaining even more interest. It's definitely a question that has crossed his mind, but he hasn't put much thought into who her mother could be or what she looks like.

"You two are almost like complete opposites," she begins before chuckling. "You're serious and she's a bit goofy. But they say opposites attract, right?"

"That's what they say…" He looks up and folds his arms. There truly are many things he knows nothing about in regards to his past. All of this time, there has always been talks about him protecting Egypt. But to find out he had a whole family of his own? "Tell me more."

Cairo looks over at him. His eyes are now closed, as if he's trying visualize everything in his head that she's telling him. So she tries her best to paint a picture that he can clearly visualize. "Back then you'd always used to tell me that she was the calm in your storm. Much had occurred when you were on your way to becoming pharaoh. As you can probably already imagine, the journey of being prepared to be the King of Egypt is no easy task and it can be quite stressful." She smiles before continuing. "But mom had this…power…just her presence alone can brighten anyone's day."

"And…what did she look like?" He finds himself growing more and more curious as his daughter continues.

"She was beautiful. Slim, yet fit. Brown hair." She starts to list everything she can remember about her mom, the images appearing vividly in her mind. She remembers the strong embrace her mom would give her every morning. Or the kisses on the forehead before she went to bed at night. That cheerful voice, her smile and her strength. "I could go on and on about my mother. But I'd like to think, when you see her again, you'll know it's her. Because the bond between you two was strong."

Cairo leans back on the bench and sighs, her head lowering. "I miss her so much."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"

"No. No it's fine!" she assures him. "I just wish there was a way for the gods to reconsider their decision of banishing me to the Shadow Realm. I know it's been 5,000 years. But I wish they could see me for who I truly am."

"Cairo…"

"Once you're through fulfilling your destiny, you'll be reunited with your loved ones. I, on the other hand, will be sent back to my prison."

Yami clenches his fists and stands up to her surprise. It just doesn't seem fair for her to be banished for something that was out of her control. And her current actions should be more than enough proof to show that she is indeed good. "I won't let you stay trapped in the Shadow Realm forever."

Her eyes widen in shock. "What are you saying?"

"When that time comes for me to return to the afterlife, I will speak to the gods myself."

Cairo jumps up and he turns to kneel down to her. "But dad…" She lowers her eyes. In a brief moment she goes from feeling a glimmer of hope to realization that the gods might just deny his request. She doesn't want to get her hopes up. "What if they say no?"

He brings her chin up so that he's looking directly at her. Her amethyst eyes begin to water up as she fights to hold back the tears. "I promise you...I will do everything in my power."

"Dad…" The tears begin to fall and she runs into his chest to his surprise, but he quickly embraces her as she begins to sob, clenching onto his navy blue jacket. Although it is still uncertain as to whether or not the gods will go with his request, something deep inside tells her that her days of being a prisoner to the shadows are possibly numbered. Her father has never let her down in the past. So why now?

"I'm not going back to the afterlife without you." She has suffered for far too long and he refuses to let her suffer any longer. They pull away from each other and Cairo quickly wipes her tears, turning her head with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get all emotional."

"There's nothing wrong with showing your emotions, Cairo. It's alright."

She wipes the remaining tears and smiles shyly. "Yeah, you're right. It's just...when you've been in the Shadow Realm so long, you're forced to be strong. Can't let anyone see you sweat or they think they can overpower you."

"Well when you're finally freed, you'll be able to finally relax," Yami says confidently.

Cairo smirks. "I'd like that very much."

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Sorry it took a while to update! But hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know in the reviews!


	16. A New Threat

After a helicopter personally sent by Kaiba picks up Yugi and the gang and takes them back to Japan, they find themselves in the middle of Kaiba Land. Along with the contestants that will be competing in the tournament, the park is only doing a soft opening, so the amount of spectators is limited, yet still a good quantity. The park is full rides ranging from rollercoasters, a ferris wheel, carousels and more. In the middle is a mega dome in the shape of a Blue Eyes White Dragon head.

"This place is huge!" Joey says in amazement as they walk through the park.

"It's super over the top," Tristan says, noticing there are multiple statues of the Blue Eyes White Dragon in different areas of the park. "Seriously, this guy is obsessed."

"Well this is Kaiba we're talking about," Téa points out.

Cairo watches as kids giggle after receiving cotton candy and other treats by the Dark Magician Girl and the Dark Magician. But something seems off about them. The woman dressed as the magician girl is almost an exact match, but the man dressed as the Dark Magician bears no resemblance at all. "Weird…" she comments and she outstretches her hand, an energy ball forming.

Yugi gasps in realization of what she's about to do and he quickly stands in front of her with his arms outstretched. "Hey! Hey! Easy there Cairo!"

"They look like imposters."

Yugi chuckles nervously. "Yeah, that's because they're just people dressed in costumes, that's all! It's kinda what we do here!"

"Ohhh." She lowers her hand and he sighs in relief.

"You might wanna cool it on the powers," Duke mutters over to her, noticing the odd looks she's getting from nearby people.

"It's okay to let loose and relax sometimes Cairo," Tristan says kneeling down to her. "Come on. Wouldn't you like a day or two to just be a kid?"

"Ideally, yes, that would be nice," Cairo replies before scanning the area. She senses the presence of a Kul Elna soul in the area. "But unfortunately, there's still work to be done."

"You mean there's souls that you're looking for that's here right now?" Yugi asks and Cairo nods.

"I'm only sensing one at the moment. Maybe I can handle it before this place is at capacity."

"Yeah! And then you can enjoy the tournament and all the attractions!" Tristan exclaims. "I hear all of them are free today."

Joey's ears perk up and he clenches his fists with excitement. "Are you serious? They're all free?"

"Focus Joey. You have a tournament that needs all of your attention," Téa says, face palming.

"Catch you later," Cairo says, running off to find the host of the soul.

Téa frowns. "Poor kid. Must be tough always having to be on alert like that."

"She doesn't seem too bothered by it," Duke says naively, but Yugi knows better. He knows there's nothing she wants more than to be free from her duties. And the pharaoh made a promise that he will set her free once and for all.

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Cairo places her hands behind her back as she walks through the park. Never has she seen anything like this before. People dressed up as duel monsters, people screaming with delight on rollercoasters and just the amount of technology surrounding her in general is enough to make her a bit overwhelmed. It's going to be tough to find the soul that she is looking for with all of these people.

She stops in her tracks and drops her shoulders, exhaling and groaning with dread. "This is gonna take forever," she whines. She envies the people that are able to walk around without a care in the world. She looks at the kids her age, happily indulging in food and entertaining themselves with card games and various attractions that are open today. "Must be nice…"

"Hey! Give it back!" a boy yells nearby. He jumps up and down trying to get his precious card that is being dangled above his head. Three older kids laugh at the boy's failed attempts.

"Now how did a wimp like you get your hands on such a rare card," the older kid holding the card says. He wears a red bandana over his low spiky blonde hair.

"You wouldn't even know what to do with it!" yells another.

"Please," the boy with short black hair and square glasses pleads. "My grandfather gave that to me before he died. It's more than a card to me!"

"Well I'm taking it off your hands."

Tears well up in the boy's eyes. "No, please!"

The three bullies laugh and they turn to walk away, but stop when they see Cairo standing there with her arms folded. "Get outa the way little girl!"

"Return the card you stole," Cairo demands calmly, earning laughs from the group.

"Get lost!" the blonde hair kid yells.

The boy whose card got stolen looks on with worry. He feels so pathetic letting a girl stick up for him. Instead she should be protecting her, he thinks to himself. He hurries over and stands protectively in front of Cairo to her surprise. "Don't hurt her!" he exclaims, holding his hands out.

"Move out of the way or I'll pulverize you both!" the blonde haired bully yells. "I'm not afraid to hit girls!"

"I don't have time for this," Cairo says, moving past the kid and standing inches away from the bully. In one swift motion, she jumps up, grabs the card and roundhouse kicks the bully, sending him hurdling to his group of friends and they all land in a heap. She lands gracefully on her feet and looks down at the card. A gasp escapes her lips when she realizes what monster is on the card.

The Magician of Black Chaos. In the past, she not only was able to cast spells, but she could summon a monster as well. What are the odds that the card she is currently holding in her hand is the same monster that she had the ability to summon?

"E-Excuse me…" She turns around to the boy who hesitantly walks up to her. "But…how did you do that?"

"Do what?" Cairo asks. The boy only points to his bullies that are out cold on the ground. "Uh…" Darn. And Duke literally just told her to tone it down on the powers.

"Are you some sort of mutant or superhero?" he asks, the excitement clearly showing in his face. Seeing Cairo's questionable look, he pulls out a comic book out of his backpack and shows her. There are people dressed in different costumes with capes, using their different abilities to save humanity. "Maybe your superpower is super strength?"

"Here's your card," Cairo says, handing it back to him and turning away to leave.

"Wait!" the boy yells as she walks away and he scrambles to catch up with her. "I'm Roy! What's your name?"

"Cairo."

"Thanks for saving me back there and getting my card back," Roy says with a smile. "Are you participating in the tournament?"

"No, but my friends are," she replies, keeping her gaze forward as she focuses on her mission.

"Awesome!" he exclaims before frowning. "But why aren't you with them?"

"I have to retrieve a soul," she says bluntly and he blinks a few times. She finally looks over at him, waiting on his reaction. She is certain this will make him go away and scare him off. But instead, the exact opposite happens. Instead, he is filled with even more excitement as his smiles grows bigger.

"I knew it! You really are a superhero! Can I tag along?"

Cairo scratches the back her head, confused by why he's so thrilled with the fact that she has powers. "I don't know...could be dangerous. It's probably best we go our separate ways."

The boy stops in his tracks and there is silence. Cairo sighs and turns around, but to her surprise, he has a huge grin on his face. "It's okay! I understand! You're a superhero!"

"A what…?" Cairo says to herself.

"...And I can't get in the way of a superhero!" he finishes.

"Uh…right. See ya." Cairo waves and the boy happily waves back as she walks away. A small smile forms on her lips and she shakes her head.

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_"Ladies and gentleman! Duelists of all ages! Kaiba Corp is proud to present the KC Grand Championship Tournament! We've assembled an outstanding lineup of first class duelists from around the world just for you! One of which will be crowned world champ!"_

Joey grins as he stands up on stage with the rest of the duelists. "I think we all know who that's gonna be," he states with confidence.

Yugi looks around in amazement, surrounded in the Kaiba Dome by hundreds of people. "Wow! Can you believe this crowd!"

"Yeah! It's huge!" Téa agrees, also looking around with fascination.

"Peace and love baby!" Tristan exclaims, chucking up two peace signs at a camera that is pointed at him. That is until Téa whacks him on the head.

"Can you try and act normal for once?" she grumbles with embarrassment.

_"__And now make some noise for our master of ceremonies!"_ the announcer says as a cloud of smoke appears in the middle of the stage. A platform raises, revealing Mokuba holding onto a microphone and he looks out to the crowd.

"Do they have to be so dramatic?" Duke groans.

"So are you people ready to get your duel on? I can't hear you!" he yells to a response of loud cheers. "Great! Cuz it's time to kick off the greatest duel monster's tournament ever organized! And before the day is through, we may have a new international duel monsters champion! So give it up for the current title holder, Yugi Mutou!"

The jumbo screen in the arena pans over to an embarrassed Yugi who turns red. The crowd begins to chant his name and he sinks deeper into his seat.

"Come up and say a word or two to your fans!" Mokuba encourages.

'Pharaoh, I need you,' Yugi says in his head with a panic.

'No,' Yami says, appearing next to him with a smile. 'You can do this.'

Before Yugi can protest any further, Yami disappears and he reluctantly gets up, walking stiffly as he goes up the stairs leading to the stage. "No one told me there'd be public speaking," he whines to himself. All eyes are on him as he manages to raise his hand in a slight wave, his cheeks turning red.

Luckily for him, Seto Kaiba appears, wearing a white suit with a blue tie and Mokuba hands over the microphone. He raises the microphone to his mouth and speaks. "Alright! I'm gonna make this brief! This is not a show! It's the ultimate test of survival! And it's gonna push everyone involved to their limits! So if you came for a friendly game, then I suggest you go home! This is a ruthless battle! And only one duelist will remain standing! From this point on, KaibaLand is a battlefield! So trust no one and let the best duelist win!" He raises the microphone to the crowd chanting his name.

Joey growls. "That show off! He's just lucky he's not dueling!" After losing to him at Duelist Kingdom, Joey has wanted a rematch with him ever since. But it looks like he's going to have to wait longer for that chance."

Colorful fireworks shoot up into the air, signaling the start of the tournament and the contestants go their respective locations for the first round.

Cairo goes on guard when she sees the colorful explosions in the air and she squints her eyes, looking at the smoke from the fireworks that linger in the air. "Doesn't appear to be much of a threat…" she comments to herself. "This world has such odd practices and traditions." Feeling the presence of a soul, her eyes slowly scroll over to a crowd of people that surround two fighters. The crowd ranges from mostly men, but also small children as well. As she walks closer to the cheering crowd, she observes the two fighters, trying to pinpoint who the Kul Elna soul is possessing.

One of the fighters is a muscular man with long blonde hair. He wears blue jean shorts and a tight white t-shirt. He seems to have taken quite a beating from his opponent, a tall woman with long purple hair, black shorts, a white tank and a black vest. She also wears black leather boots that go just over her calf muscles. Her body isn't as built as the man's, but she is still showing a great amount of strength.

"Hm…that's the one," Cairo says, folding her arms as she watches the fight continue.

The woman lands a flying kick to the man, finally knocking him out and the crowd cheers.

"Whoa! She's amazing!" a man comments, looking her up and down, admiring her strength and beauty.

"I wanna be just like Tara the Great when I grow up!" says a girl with clenched fists. Her and the rest of the kids crowd Tara, asking for her autograph and cheering after seeing such a great fight.

"Here you go little one," Tara says with a smile, giving one of the children her autograph before going over to the next child to sign their autograph book as well. "So, who wants to be my next challenger in order to win the grand prize of ten thousand dollars?"

The group of other fighters begin to cower and have their doubts. She just beat one of the strongest in the group. She is truly undefeated. There's no way any of them will be able to defeat her.

After no one answers she shrugs her shoulders and turns her back with a smirk. "Guess I'll just keep it all to myself then."

"I'll challenge you," Cairo says, walking up behind her.

Tara raises an eyebrow. The voice sounds like it's coming from a child. They can't be serious. She begins to turn around to see her opponent will be. "Who challenges—" She gasps when she sees who it is and her eyes narrow. "You…What are you doing here?" She grunts and looks down at Cairo in disgust. "I see those other souls were unsuccessful in getting rid of you and I'm assuming the pharaoh as well."

"You'd be correct," Cairo replies with a smile. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"Well you're the one that's going to be disappointed. I won't be returning to the shadows."

"Oh?"

"When Dartz became aware that some of us had escaped from the Shadow Realm, a few of us were granted with powers in hopes that we would help him defeat you and retrieve the pharaoh," she explains. "And even though Dartz is gone, my powers still remain and I still despise you and your father."

Cairo pouts, poking out her lip. "Well that's not nice."

"Is that kid really going to go against someone as strong as Tara?" a spectator asks.

"I think the question is, is Tara really going to fight against a kid?" another says.

Tara rushes at Cairo, pulling her fist back to strike and Cairo blocks her with one hand to everyone's shock. Tara tries to land another blow with her free hand, but the girl quickly ducks out of the way before landing an uppercut that sends Tara flying.

"Whoa! That kid is strong!"

Cairo walks up to Tara who is just beginning to sit up, but she stops midway when Cairo's eyes glow purple. "You…" Tara grunts, clenching her fists. "Your family always ruins everything! Just like you ruined my life all those years ago!" Cairo magically makes her wand appear and points it Tara to everyone's shock. In that moment, she doesn't care that everyone is watching. She has a job to do and intends on doing it.

"Your anger is very misguided," Cairo tells her. "While it's true one of my family members is the cause of your destruction, neither my father nor my grandfather had anything to do with it."

"I don't care about anything you have to say!" Tara shouts. "Just send me back already. That's what you came to do right?"

"No!" a little girl yells and Cairo gasps as one of Tara's little fans runs over and stands protectively in front of the woman. "Don't hurt her you big bully! Leave her alone!"

"What…?" Cairo says, confusedly. This girl is protecting Tara like she is some sort of hero. In fact, she noticed earlier that Tara had quite the fanbase. Did she manage to do that in the short period of time that she was here?

"You see, I'm not bad to them," Tara says. "I never intended on using my powers to defeat you as much as I hate you and your father. I only accepted the powers from Dartz because I knew you were out looking for the lost souls, so I needed something to protect myself from you. But obviously that didn't work."

"What are you saying?"

"I was trying to move on!" Tara exclaims. "To start over and live the life that I never got to live to its full potential because it was cut short! In the short period of time that I've been here, I've been able to make something of myself and I want to continue doing that! But obviously you want to ruin that too!"

Cairo sighs and lowers her wand reluctantly. She knows all too well how it feels for one's life to be cut short from things out of her control. It happened to her. She looks over to the young girl protecting Tara who is shaking with fear. She frowns and then looks back at Tara before smiling to their surprise. Her wand disappears from her hand and she turns away.

"Where are you going?" Tara asks.

"There's another soul that I'm sensing that's far more dangerous than you."

"So you're letting me—"

"Stay?" She looks at Tara over her shoulder and smiles. "Sure. For now."

The woman quickly gets up and runs to catch up with Cairo who has started walking away. "So what's the catch?"

"No catch. But you don't seem like much of a threat, so I need to focus on the one that is."

Tara narrows her eyes suspiciously. "I still dislike you and your family."

"That's fine. "

"Wait what?"

"One of these days you'll realize that neither my father or I are the enemy. And I'm just an innocent girl that got dragged into this current role."

Tara stops in her tracks. "What do mean?" But instead of answering, Cairo fazes through the concrete ground, leaving Tara to wonder what she meant by that last statement.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

A boy with a red bandana dusts his clothes off after the quick beating he received from a girl. After such an embarrassing defeat, his gang ditched him, leaving him by himself. "Next time I see that kid, she'll regret ever making a fool out of me!"

As he walks through the amusement park, a red soul slowly descends on him and his body jerks a little. He clenches his head with both hands and grimaces, feeling another presence start to posses his body. After a few moments, the struggle suddenly stops and his eyes slowly open, revealing red glowing ones. He looks over to a nearby screen and sees someone resembling the pharaoh and he grins.

"There you are…"

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Sorry it took so long! But hope you enjoyed the newest chapter! Leave a review!


	17. Find that Soul

Cairo looks to a nearby monitor showing the progression of the many duels taking place in KaibaLand. A name in particular catches her eye and she frowns. It appears Joey has lost his second duel and will not be moving forward. Much time has passed and there are still no signs of the powerful soul she sensed earlier. Maybe it would be best to meet up with the others.

"Cairo!" she hears a boy yell and she turns around to see Roy, the kid she saved earlier from getting his card stolen by a group of bullies. He runs up to her, panting for few seconds before regaining his composure.

"Oh, hi," Cairo greets. "Did something else happen? You haven't gotten your card stolen again, have you?"

He shakes his head with a smile. "No, I'm being extra careful this time!" he exclaims with a grin. "Have you completed your mission yet?"

"Still searching."

"I see," he says, beginning to walk alongside her. "You said you had to capture souls. Is anyone able to see them?"

"Yes. And they possess the bodies of others."

"Whoa." He pulls out the comic book in his book bag and flips the pages. "Sounds like this chapter I'm reading. A recent foe that the hero has fought is possessed by this outside force that gives them great power and the battle that ensues is an intense one."

Cairo looks up in thought. "A recent foe huh?" She tries to think of a more recent foe that she has been up against. She has fought many in the past. The thought of the bully she beat briefly enters her mind and she shakes her head. Couldn't be him. The soul wouldn't possibly use a child to carry out its revenge.

The boy looks up to the golden crown that she always wears on her head and he raises an eyebrow. "Are you a princess?"

"Did you need something?" she asks, not wanting to delve into her past.

"Oh! Well I wanted to give you this," he says, his cheeks turning red. He hands over a small action figure of the Magician of Black Chaos that he bought from a gift shop. She brings it closer to her face and observes it. "You know, as a thanks for helping me earlier."

Cairo smiles and looks at him, the blush on his cheeks turning redder by the second. "Thank you. I shall always cherish it," she says. His heart feels like it is about to burst out of his chest. He watches her leave and places a hand up to his chest with a dazed expression.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

In a restaurant surrounded by food, Joey, Duke and Tristan get their grub on, munching happily on the delicious food set aside on the various tables. Meanwhile, on two nearby tables stand a woman named Vivian who wears a short yellow dress and her hair in buns. Her duel disk readied as she stands across from her opponent, none other than the pharaoh.

She was eliminated from the tournament by Rebecca, but she isn't willing to accept defeat just yet. She has taken a strong liking to Yugi. After kidnapping his grandfather, who also was a mystery duelist in the tournament who lost to Joey under the name Apnarg Otoum, she has persuaded Yugi to duel. If he wins, his grandpa will be released. If he loses, he will be forced to go out on a date with her. In true Yugi fashion, he is not the one to back down.

"Get it through your thick head Vivian!" Téa yells angrily as they duel and Vivian continues on with her flirting. "Yugi doesn't like you and he never will!"

"Okay, breathe," Joey says between bites, sensing the jealousy boiling from Téa.

"Attack his magician directly!" Vivian orders one of her monsters and it succesfully defeat's Yami's Dark Magician. "Now attack him directly!" The maiden monster uses its sword and swipes down on him and he grunts.

Joey nearly chokes on his food. "Now how in the world was she able to attack twice in one turn like that?"

"I'll place this monster in defense mode! And put these two cards face down, ending my turn," Yami says, placing his cards on his duel disk.

"Look at it this way," Tristan says, slurping his ramen. "If Yugi loses, at least he gets a cute date."

"Yugi won't lose!" Téa snaps. "So drop the date thing!"

The doors to the restaurant open, revealing Cairo. "Hey look who it is!" Duke exclaims and the three of them turn around while Yami focuses on his duel.

"About time you decided to join us," Joey says as she walks over to them. They continue to munch on their food while the duel continues on.

"You guys! Yugi needs our support and you all are busy stuffing your faces!" Téa says in disbelief. "We should be supporting him! Isn't that right Cairo?"

Cairo's eyes go big, seeing all of the various types of food in front of her. She can't remember the last time she's had a full meal like this. Her stomach growls and her mouth begins to drool.

"Say no more," Tristan says, handing her a plate and she sits down, quickly munching on the food. Téa drops her head and sighs heavily.

"I play monster reincarnation!" Yami summons. "So that means Dark Magician is back in my deck!"

"Oh no!" Vivian whines, knowing that the Dark Magician is Yugi's signature card and a powerful one at that. She has already defeated him once, but a second time will prove to be difficult.

"I now use my Polymerization card to fuse Dark Magician and my Buster Blader to form Dark Paladin! The monster of your demise!" Cairo gulps down her food when she sees a blueish magician form, looking similar to Dark Magician but with slight changes. Its clothing is dark and its skin is blue. She's never seen anything like it before, not even in her past. This duel monsters game sure comes with a lot of possibilities she thinks to herself.

"No! It's not fair!" she whines.

"Oh, it's quite fair. Dark Paladin, wipe out the rest of her life points!" The magician uses its magical staff and finally defeats Vivian to her dismay and she drops down to her knees as Téa and the gang cheer.

"He did it!" Téa exclaims before sticking out her tongue to Vivian.

"Now tell us where Yugi's grandpa is!" Joey demands.

"I never kidnapped him!" she confesses. "It was just something I said to get my dear Yugi to duel me! And then when I would become victorious, I would finally get my date!"

"What? Seriously! Why you—"

"You truly are pathetic," Téa says, rolling her eyes and shaking her head and Vivian scrambles out of the restaurant. "What a waste of time."

Duke looks over at Cairo who finishes up her plate. "So I take it you're done with your soul catching business?"

Cairo frowns. "Not exactly. I'm having a hard time pinpointing where this one is."

"You're typically good at locating them," Yami says walking up to her. "This one in particular must be different from the other souls you've captured in some way."

"Indeed. And if we're honest, I'm dreading facing off with this one," she says with folded arms. "This soul is really strong it seems."

"I'll be glad when all of this soul catching stuff is over and life gets back to normal," Joey groans and Téa bumps his arm.

"Joey! Don't say that! Once all the souls are captured, Cairo will have to go back to the Shadow Realm. Plus, when has life ever been normal for us?" she points out.

"Well that's not what I meant!" Joey exclaims, waving his arms frantically. "Of course I'd like the soul catching to stop, but I definitely don't want to see Cairo go!"

Cairo smiles. "It's okay Joey. I know what you meant."

Duke looks over to a nearby monitor that reveals who is the finalist dueling against Yugi. It is a young purple haired boy named Leon, who also happens to be a huge fan of Yugi. "We better get a move on," he says to Yami. "You've got a duel coming up soon."

"Right," Yami replies with a nod.

They all walk out of the restaurant and head to the stadium where the final duel will be. As they reach the entrance, Cairo feels a pair of eyes on her. Yami turns around, seeing that Cairo has stopped. "Is something wrong?" he asks and she looks back at him with a reassuring smile.

"You go ahead. I need to have a word with someone," she replies and turns her head to one person in particular. Yami follows her gaze and sees a tall woman leaning up against a building with her arms folded.

"Is that a Kul Elna soul?" he asks and she nods.

"It's okay. Compared to the other ones I've faced, she's not bad."

"Come on Yug!" Joey calls out to him. "You're up."

Yami looks down at Cairo. "Alright. Promise me you'll be careful."

"Yes father," she replies with a smile and a nod before running off and he enters into the stadium to have his final duel.

"So the pharaoh truly is walking amongst the living," Tara says as Cairo approaches her. "Surprisingly enough, I don't have the strong urge to kill him."

"Change of heart?" Cairo asks, with an eyebrow raised and a smirk.

Tara sucks her teeth and looks away. "Shut up."

"So what brings you here? Ready to go back?"

"You have a lot of jokes little girl. But no, I was thinking about what you said earlier and I have some questions."

"Go on."

"You must have done something really bad when you were living to end up as the keeper of souls," Tara begins and Cairo groans internally. Does she really have to explain her past once again? "So what did you do?"

"Well long story short, I was possessed by a dark force, betrayed my father and the rest of Egypt in the process and have been banished to the Shadow Realm for all eternity."

Tara's eyes widen. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," Cairo replies simply, wanting to change the subject.

Tara looks up at the pharaoh who continues to walk away with his group and then her eyes land back on Cairo. If what she's saying is true, then it's not her fault that she's in this current position. The other souls have always painted Cairo to be a monster, especially because of who she is related to. And there's no doubt that the Shadow Realm has hardened her and caused her to always to be on guard. But she really is just a kid whose life got cut short due to unfortunate circumstances.

"Tell me the truth. Is he really not the cause of the destruction of my village and my people?"

"As I've said before, he's innocent."

"For some odd reason, I believe you…" Tara says somewhat hesitantly, looking the girl in the eyes. They don't have any hint of deceit. "If he truly isn't responsible, then there's no reason for him to be punished."

A cold chill goes through Cairo's body and her head whips around, feeling the presence of evil. "Tell that to the evil soul lurking around," she says and Tara looks around as well. It is hard to pinpoint where this presence is coming from since there is a large number of people in the park now.

Chants nearby from the start of the final duel begin to sound through the air and Cairo narrows her eyes in frustration. She really wanted to watch her father duel. But it seems like she will be missing out on that as well. She sighs heavily. "I guess I should be used to it by now," she says to herself before looking over to Tara. "Can't you just talk to your buddy and tell him to stand down?"

Tara smirks. "Got somewhere to be?"

"Well there _is_ a duel involving my father going on right now," Cairo says, stating the obvious and Tara chuckles.

"You might as well join your friends. If there is any soul around, chances are their sights will be on your father. So you should probably stick close by."

"Mmm. Good point," Cairo agrees, turning away. "Guess I'll go about my way."

"Keep your guard up, kid!"

Cairo smirks as she walks away and mutters, "Don't I always…"

She walks into the main lobby of the arena, standing in the middle to gather her thoughts and to focus. But it is hard to do so when there are so many people around her. She's never had this many distractions before when pinpointing where a soul is. But with all of these people, it's making it super hard. She growls in frustration. "At this point, I won't be able to find him like this. I need some sort of sign."

There is a crowd of cheers as Yami wipes out on of Leon's monsters on the field. His opponent has two face down cards while Yami has out his Dark Magician Girl who twirls her wand and places it on her shoulder with a wink after being successful at landing an attack.

"Ah yeah!" Joey cheers, punching his fist in the air as they look on from an upper balcony.

"Yugi is gonna mop the floor with this kid!" Tristan exclaims.

"I don't know guys, Leon is a pretty skilled duelist," Duke points out. "There's a reason he made it this far."

Téa side eyes Duke, causing him to flinch. "Well let's stay positive." Cairo finally walks up and looks over the balcony at the duel happening below. "Cairo! It's about time you showed up!"

"How much have I missed?"

"We're more than halfway through it seems, telling by the life points that are left over," Tristan guesses. "But that could go either way."

"Yeah, I hate to admit it, but Duke is right. Leon shouldn't be underestimated one bit," Joey says.

There is a light roar of thunder and Duke looks up, seeing the sky getting gradually cloudy. "They need to get a move on. It looks like it's gonna storm really soon."

Cairo looks up to the sky, narrowing her eyes. The soul is close. She can feel it. Turning around to leave, Joey looks at her questionably. "Hey, where are you going?"

"Yeah, you're gonna miss the rest of the duel," Téa says. But Cairo continues to walk away without an answer.

"What was that all about?" Duke asks.

"I don't know. But with Cairo's history, it can't be good," Joey says in a serious tone.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Sorry for the long update again! Not sure if anyone is reading this story lol, but if you are, let me know how you're liking it in the reviews! I'm enjoying writing it anyway, ha.


	18. The Final Soul Battle

Standing in the middle of the lobby, Cairo looks around in all directions. The powerful soul is close, but she can't pinpoint who it is. She growls, growing more frustrated. Bowing her head slightly, she sighs in disappointment. She really wanted to see her father duel in the tournament, but due to her having important responsibilities, she couldn't enjoy her time here at all. There's no way that she can actually relax when there's a powerful soul lurking around.

Unbeknownst to her, a kid her size wearing a bandana has his handed outstretched toward her from a distance. He grins, seeing that her guard has been let down.

Eventually, Yami becomes victorious against his duel with Leon and a wave of cheers fill the air. An awards ceremony shortly follows afterward, with Yami and Leon standing in the middle of the arena to the sound of more cheers. After the ceremony, the crowd starts to clear out of the arena. The theme park is still open for now and most of the crowd goes out into different areas of the park to take advantage of the free rides. Yami finally joins the others on the balcony. They all crowd around him to congratulate him on an amazing duel.

"That was awesome Yugi!" Joey exclaims with excitement. "You had me worried there for a second, but you pulled through as always!"

"I never doubted you for a second," Téa says with a smile.

"Thank you," Yami says with a smirk. "Leon was an amazing duelist, especially at his young age. He will go far."

"Yeah, that kid definitely had a lot of moves up his sleeve," Duke agrees.

"So do you guys wanna catch some of the other attractions before this place closes," Tristan suggests.

BOOM.

The loud noise echoes through the area and causes the ground beneath them to shake violently, bringing them to their hands and knees. Screams begin to fill the air as another loud explosions occurs, putting them on even more alert.

"What was that?!" Téa yells.

"Sounds like it's coming from the lobby!" Tristan exclaims. By now the arena is near empty and many have opted to evacuate the park to be at a safer distance from the commotion.

"Maybe we should find another way out," Duke suggests.

Joey narrows his eyes. He has a bad feeling about all of this. "Hold on guys…"

"Uh Joey? If you haven't noticed, we're in danger!" Tristan says.

"I have a feeling that Cairo is the one in real danger."

Yami looks at him with a mixture of surprise and concern. "What?"

"Think about it you guys. She came here briefly to watch Yugi duel. But soon after, she ended up leaving. I think it's because she finally sensed the soul she was looking for."

Cairo's eyes glow purple as she keeps debris from falling on park goers. They all look up in shock, surprised that they haven't been crushed, before running away to safety. Roy peeks from around a nearby wall, watching as this all goes down. A boy that greatly resembles the kid that bullied him stands across from Cairo at a distance, laughing loudly as she scrambles to save everyone.

"Who are you?" she grunts, glaring into the kid's eyes. There's no doubt that this soul has inherited powers from Dartz as well. That would explain his massive strength.

"I am Abosi and I will be the cause of your demise," he introduces himself with a grin.

Roy begins to bite on his nails nervously, wondering what he should do. When Cairo saved him the first time, he felt so helpless. She was just a total stranger that stepped into help him because she saw he needed help. "I gotta do something."

Abosi prepares to attack once more, and without thinking, Roy runs past Abosi to stand in front of Cairo protectively to her surprise. "I won't let you hurt her!" he exclaims.

"Roy, what are you doing?!" Cairo asks. "Get outta here!"

As this is all happening, Yami and the others finally make it into the lobby. "Cairo!" Joey yells.

Roy grits his teeth. His body shakes as he stands face to face with the boy that bullied him. "I won't be a coward this time around! I won't let you bully anyone else!"

"What's that kid doing? He's gonna get himself killed!" Tristan exclaims.

Abosi laughs. "Foolish human. The 'bully' you know isn't here. I have possessed his body to carry out my revenge," Abosi explains and Roy gasps in shock. Is this the soul Cairo was referring to, he asks himself. "And I won't let you or anyone else stand in my way!" His hand begins to emit a bright red glow in the shape of a dagger. He draws his hand back and prepares to strike Roy who is frozen in place. He can see the attack quickly approaching. The blinding red light bounces off his glasses and he shields his face.

At the last minute, Cairo pushes Roy out of the way, and she can feel the right side of her chest split open. Her eyes slowly go big, feeling her insides beginning to burn with each passing second. The blood begins to shoot out and she grimaces, clenching her teeth to prevent her cries of pain.

"NO!" Yami screams at the top of his lungs. She gasps for air, stumbling over until she drops down to one knee.

"Oh no! She's hurt!" Téa cries out with worry.

Cairo clenches her teeth, trying to fight through the immense amount of pain she is feeling. She outstretches her hand toward Roy, levitating his body into the air and flinging him back. Duke catches the kid who seems to have passed out from shock and she struggles to her feet.

"Still have some fight in you, eh?" Abosi says. "I'll kill you first. Then your father will be next."

Yami narrows his eyes. Cairo has clearly been weakened by that last blow. He has never felt so helpless in his life. He wants to help her out badly, but he has never faced off against someone this powerful and extraordinary. Not to mention, Cairo would be against him getting in harm's way.

As he shoots more attacks, Cairo runs across the length of the room, avoiding the red blasts shot from Abosi. A wall quickly approaches and she increases her speed, running up the wall and doing a backflip. She grunts, landing on her feet, but her moment of recovery is short lived. Abosi has been ruthless with the attacks and he shows no sign of stopping.

Abosi laughs, watching as the girl scrambles to get away from his powerful blasts. "Are you just going to run all day? Heh. I was expecting more out of—" He stops mid-sentence when she launches a large blast of her own and narrowly dodges it.

"Incredible…" Yami says to himself. Even after that critical blow to her chest, she is still able to fight.

"Now's my chance…" she says to herself and she charges at him at full speed, pulling her fist back and landing a direct hit. He goes hurdling into the opposite wall with so much force, he goes straight through it. Cairo doubles over, placing her hands on her knees and panting heavily. Having a physical body definitely has it cons. In the shadow realm, she never gets fatigued, therefore she is able to defend herself easily from any uprisings. But because she in the land of the living, it is the opposite. Her body is covered in cuts and she wipes the sweat off her brow. Not to mention the gaping hole in her chest.

"I need to end this quickly," she breathes out in exhaustion.

"BE GONE!" Abosi yells from inside the wall crater, and he launches a huge blast at Cairo. She crosses her arms quickly to shield herself and she manages to stand her ground while her body gets pushed a few feet back. Abosi emerges from the crater, his eyes glowing red. He catches sight of the pharaoh and grins.

Cairo narrows her eyes after uncovering her face. Abosi is probably one of the most powerful souls she has faced since coming here. Dartz sure did pack a punch with this one. She watches as he starts approaching her and he outstretches his hand. She immediately goes on guard, expecting him to attack her once more, but that isn't the case. Instead, a weird feeling overcomes her body and she suddenly feels stiff. No matter how much she tries to budge, she cannot.

"I can't—" she starts off, only being able to move her lips. He only laughs until he is only mere inches away from her.

Yami looks at Cairo's posture and grits his teeth. "Something's wrong."

Abosi looks over Cairo's shoulder to stare directly into the pharaoh's eyes. "Greeting pharaoh. I'm glad you're here. I am Abosi. And once I get rid of your daughter's demise, you will be next." Yami's eyes widen in horror as Abosi points his finger at Cairo and a beam of energy appears at his finger tip. He uses his free hand to levitate Cairo into the air as she struggles to break free from his freeze spell.

"Cairo, get outta there!" Joey yells, but it's no use. She is frozen in place.

"Why isn't she moving?" Téa asks, clenching her fists at her chest with worry.

"Don't do it Abosi!" Yami yells, taking a step forward. "Your issue is with me!"

Abosi chuckles. "Too late." And with that, he begins to shoot multiple beams at Cairo and her body jerks with each individual blast. It's as if she is getting hit by multiple bullets in different areas of her body and she clenches her teeth tightly to avoid from crying out. With each attack, she gains a new wound and becomes weaker.

She shuts her eyes. There is a power deep inside her that she can use to defeat Abosi once and for all. But she has always kept that hidden in fear of losing control. Her mind flashes back to 5,000 years ago when the dark energy took control of her body. The power that surged through her body. The wave of destruction she rained down on Egypt. 'But if I don't defeat him, he'll hurt my dad,' she thinks to herself as her body takes more abuse.

Abosi lets her body fall to the ground and she grimaces. It isn't long before he starts his next hurdle of attacks which involve stomping her back repeatedly. She finally lets out a cry, not being able to contain it anymore. Her cries echo through the room and Yami can feel his heart beating fast. There has to be something that he can do, he thinks to himself. He can't just let her face off against Abosi alone.

Cairo can feel her body being snatched up and she opens her eyes, finding her face inches apart from Abosi's. "I hear the princess never learned to swim…" He flies up into the air, bursting through the ceiling and Yami and the others rush outside to see what the evil soul is up to next. Grinning, Abosi dangles Cairo above a nearby pond as she goes in and out of consciousness. At this point, even opening her eyes or raising her hand is too much for her to bear at the moment.

The others finally make it out, gasping in horror as they see her body falling a hundred feet until she crashes through the water with a splash. Joey grits his teeth. "No! She can't swim!" he yells, thinking back to when they first met. She had crashed through the water in a similar manner and he rescued her.

"I'm coming Cairo!" Yami shouts, rushing toward the pond. Abosi looks down, aiming his hand at Yami and shooting a blast toward him.

"Look out!" Tristan yells. In the knick of time, Yami jumps out of the way and he narrows his eyes at Abosi who now stands in his way.

"Now it's your turn," Abosi says. "You will pay for what you've done to my people."

Yami growls inwardly, looking past Abosi's shoulder into the pond. He knows that he is running out of time and he has to make a move quick. He shuts his eyes, clenching his fists at his side. "Cairo…"

"Yugi, look! Your deck!" Téa shouts, bringing him out of his thoughts. He looks down to his pocket, seeing his deck of cards glow and he pulls it out. He shuffles through it until he lands on a card in particular.

"Dark Magician Girl…" he says to himself. He takes the card out and observes it. "But why…?"

"Now to finish you," Abosi says, aiming his hand at Yami to prepare a final powerful blast.

"NO!" Yami cries out, and without thinking he charges at Abosi as fast as his feet will take him.

"Yugi!" Joey yells.

As he runs to Abosi, he draws back his fist while a lighter figure appears next to him at the same time. He looks at the corner of his eye and gasps when he sees the Dark Magician Girl flying alongside him. "Dark Magician Girl?" She looks over at him with a determined look and she nods. He returns the gesture and they both charge at Abosi at full force.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Yami yells, his voice booming with such authority. He brings his fist forward as hard as he can and simultaneously, Dark Magician Girl shoots her Dark Burning Attack, sending Abosi hurdling and crashing into a nearby gate. Dark Magician Girl twirls her wand, bowing to Yami before returning to his deck.

"Whoa! Did you guys see that?!" Joey yells. "That was awesome!"

"Holy cow!" Tristan chimes in. "How did he do that?"

Cairo feels herself sinking deeper and deeper into the water. She doesn't struggle and she doesn't even try to move. This is how her story here began. Being thrown out from the Shadow Realm and into the sea below, knocked unconscious as soon as her body hit the water. Will this be how her journey will end? What will become of her father? She clenches her teeth, feeling disappointed with herself. So much for trying to redeem herself. The countless battles that she has faced since coming to the land of the living have finally taken its toll.

She slowly opens her eyes. Initially everything is a huge blur, with the sunlight from above partially blinding her. But as her eyes gain more focus, she notices a familiar figure swimming toward her. 'Dad…' She closes her eyes once more, feeling her body being lifted.

_"__Almost there…" She hears a woman say and she opens her eyes. She is in a brightly lit room, surrounded by absolutely nothing. Her injuries are gone and her body feels good as new. Standing to her feet, she looks around to find the source of the voice. When she finally turns around, she gasps. A woman with melanin skin and brown spiky hair stands across from her. She wears a white pleated skirt and a blouse that hangs off her shoulders. And right beside her is her father wearing a long blue cape, a tank and a skirt. The crown on his head matches her own and he adorned with jewelry on his fingers with the Millennium Puzzle around his neck._

_"__Mom…Dad…" she says hoarsely, her body beginning to tremble. She can't believe she is standing only feet away from them. "You're here…you're both really here…" _

_"__Don't give up, Cairo," her mother says with a smile._

_"__But I'm so tired…I just want to be with you." _

_"__And you will," the woman says, looking over to the pharaoh who stays silent. "Your father has never broken a promise." _

_"__Release that power, Cairo. Don't hold back," the pharaoh says to her surprise. _

_"__But…what if I lose control? What if the darkness overcomes me and I hurt the ones I love?" Cairo asks, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She can't bear to think of betraying those that she has made a close friendship with and repeating history once again._

_"__Before the evil took over, you were a powerful sorcerer…powerful beyond your years," the pharaoh reminds her. "Remember that. Don't let the darkness win." _

_He walks up to her and crouches down to her eye level, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Wake up." _

"Wake up Cairo," Yami says, gently shaking her in his arms after finally reaching the surface. Abosi is just now beginning to stand up after Yami and Dark Magician Girl's assault, and he seems ready to do more harm to them both. Her eyes shoot open and she quickly sits up as Abosi approaches them, enraged by the previous attack.

"I'll kill you both!" he screams. He aims a blast at Yami who shields himself from the oncoming attack.

"Yugi!" Téa yells.

Cairo calmly stands in front of Yami, a dark aura forming around her. Her eyes are now pitch black and her hair begins to stand. As the blast comes at her, she begins to walk forward to everyone's shock. Abosi grins, but that grin soon drops when she walks right through it. "What the—?!" He shoots multiple, each ending with the same outcome until she is only a few feet from him.

"Whoa! Way to go Cairo!" Tristan cheers.

"Where was that power all along?" Joey asks with a smirk.

"Hold on you guys…" Téa says cautiously and they all look at her. "Don't you remember the last time this happened? Her powers went haywire!"

Abosi grits his teeth in fear, looking into her emotionless eyes. He attempts to punch her square in the face, but he soon regrets that. It feels like his fist has just hit a brick wall and he cries out in pain. "Impossible! Where did all this power come from?! I had you!"

Without a word, she returns a punch of her own, sending him flying. But before his back makes contact with anything, she zooms over, kicking him into the air and he yells with his eyes shut. When he opens his eyes, he gasps, seeing her right above her, aiming a magical blast at him. It is so strong, he lands on the ground, forming a deep crater.

"Cairo…" Yami says, his mouth slightly agape in amazement. Her power truly knows no limits, especially in her current state.

She lands gracefully on the ground, lifting Abosi up by the wrist, staring deeply into his eyes. Initially he has a look of fear, but he soon begins to laugh, accepting his fate, while also knowing hers as well. "You poor child…hehe…You'll be right back in the Shadow Realm with the rest of us. And the pharaoh will never fulfill his destiny…not when he has to go against the Dark One."

"The Dark One…?" Yami says to himself. It isn't the first time he's heard that name, but telling by the way people have talked about it, it will more than likely be the greatest foe he will ever have to face.

Cairo slams her first against his chest, emitting the soul and dropping its host body on the ground. Whipping out her wand, she opens a portal, sending the soul of Abosi back to the Shadow Realm.

"She did it!" Tristan exclaims.

She turns around after the portal has disappeared. Her eyes still have that dark menacing look that suddenly puts everyone on alert. Will she lose control and go after them next? She begins to walk toward them, her fists clenched at her sides and Yami stands in front of everyone protectively.

"H-Hey," Joey says cautiously. "It's us. Your friends."

"Easy kiddo," Duke chimes in.

The dark aura around her begins to disappear and her eyes gradually turn back to normal, revealing her normal eye color. She drops to her hands and knees, panting heavily and Yami runs to her side, kneeling down to her.

"Will you be alright?" he asks with concern in his voice. She manages to nod her head. A purple aura surrounds her body and it begins to heal on its own. Yami and the others watch in fascination as the hole in her chest begins to close and the cuts and bruises start to heal until there are no more.

"I'm tired…" she breathes out.

"We should get her back to your place, Yugi," Téa suggests and Yami nods.

"We need to get these two medical attention too," Tristan says, referring to Roy and the body that Abosi once held.

At the sound of his name, Roy stirs out of his slumber and he sits up, looking around in confusion until his eyes land on Cairo who is being helped up by Yami. Then he looks over to the body of his bully who lays unconscious. A smile creeps up on his lips when he realizes what has occurred. He jumps up and dashes over to Cairo with his fists clenched with excitement.

"You did it!" he cheers. "I knew you could!"

"Okay, so we just need medical attention for one then," Tristan mutters.

Roy lowers her head. "I'm sorry for getting in the way earlier. I just really wanted to pay you back for helping me."

Cairo smiles. "It's okay. Though quite foolish you, it was still very brave of you to try and protect me," she compliments him and he begins to blush.

"Will I ever see you again?" he asks and she frowns.

"I have to go back home soon…" she replies softly. "And it's very far from here."

"Oh…I see…"

Cairo digs into her pocket and shows him the Magician of Black Chaos action figure he gave her. "But I'll always cherish this gift. And I'll never forget you." She turns away to leave with the others, leaving Roy alone, clenching onto his shirt, feeling his heart beating out of his chest. Even though he has only known her for a short period, he will never forget the friendship and kindness she showed him. And he will miss her.

"Cairo, wait!" he calls after her.

Her and the others stop and turn around. Cairo could barely turn around fully when Roy suddenly kisses her on the cheek. Her eyes widen and Yami and the others blink a few times at this sudden display. When he finally pulls away, he runs off, leaving a confused expression on Cairo's face.

She turns to face everyone and tilts her head. Téa giggles. "It looks like he may have had a little crush on you Cairo."

"Me?" Cairo asks, pointing to herself while the other laugh as they continue their way back home after a long day.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It's finally winding down for Cairo to finally return and the pharaoh and her to meet in the past once more. Leave a review! :)


	19. A Tough See You Later

**Author note: The website was down, but it appears to be fixed so re-uploading this chapter. Enjoy! **

Cairo sits in the middle of Yugi's bedroom that night on the floor with her legs crossed. Her hands are placed on top of her knees and her eyes glow purple as she scans the world for any wandering souls. She searches high and low, through many streets and hidden corridors of the world.

While she is doing this, Yami leans on the wall behind her in ghost form with his arms folded across his chest. He thinks back to the promise that he made her. He promised her that he would free her from the shadows so that her soul can finally rest in the afterlife.

'You alright?' asks Yugi. 'You look like you have a lot on your mind.'

Before he can answer, Cairo stirs out of her trance, blinking a few times and shaking her head. "Hm…"

"Something wrong?" Yugi asks as she stands up and turns to him.

She pauses for a moment. Soon she will return back to the shadows and her father will be embarking on his final journey to reveal his memories and fulfilling his destiny. She knows that the gods advised her not to interfere, but she can't help but want to help out in some way. The terrible incident that ultimately landed her in the Shadow Realm weighs heavy in her mind. "Well…there's something I need to tell my father..." She looks down to the floor and Yugi frowns.

"Seems bad…"

She only nods. But before she can go any further, a familiar presence causes her to look toward the open window. Yugi blinks and follows her gaze. To his surprise, he sees a hand grasping onto the ledge. Cairo stands protectively in front of him and without a second thought, Yami switches positions with Yugi as a precaution. Cairo glances back, seeing her father and he steps up to stand beside her.

"Show yourself," Yami demands. Hearing a grunt on the other side, the intruder manages to pull themselves up, revealing none other than Tara from the amusement park. Yami narrows his eyes, immediately going on guard and Tara laughs.

"The last soul," Cairo says and Yami looks down at her.

"Are you sure?" he asks and she nods her head.

"So we finally meet," Tara says, taking a few steps inside the bedroom. She looks the pharaoh up and down and smirks. He is a lot shorter than what she imagined, but with the Millennium Puzzle around his neck, there is no mistaking it. This is the first time she is seeing him up close. "Funny. Here I am within feet of the great and powerful pharaoh that everyone claims is the reason for my people's destruction…and yet…I still have no urge to kill you."

Yami's eyes widen with surprise. Out of all the souls they faced, this is new. Compared to the others, she is relaxed and doesn't have that evil glint in her eye. She is different from the rest. But why?

"Cairo told me everything," she tells him. "And I'm not sure what possessed me to believe her. Maybe it's the fact that we both have suffered similar fates." She looks down at Cairo. Both of their lives were cut short due to their circumstances. Neither asked for the cards that they have been dealt, but they both tried to make the very best of it. Tara tried to make something of herself while in the living world, while Cairo has tried to redeem herself with the gods. "You and I have more in common than I thought kiddo."

Tara walks up to the pharaoh, getting down on knee and bowing her head. "I apologize for everything that you've had to endure," she says to his surprise. "I know now that you had nothing to do with it and I wish my people saw the same."

"It's alright. You didn't know," Yami responds, feeling relieved that this wouldn't turn out to be another battle.

"And you." Tara stands up, her eyes set on the small girl in front of her. "I witnessed your fight with Abosi and let me just say that I was naive to think that I could go against someone like you," she chuckles. "You are one tough kid, you know that?"

Cairo chuckles lightly. "That's what happens when you're equipped with a lot of power and countless centuries of fighting in the shadows."

Tara's face goes into a frown. "I don't know how, but I hope one day your soul will finally be able to rest in the afterlife."

Cairo nods slightly. It won't be long before she has to go back and the doubts are creeping up again. She shakes those thoughts out of her head and looks to Tara. "What will you do now?"

Tara blinks with confusion and surprise. "Well I…are you…you're letting me stay?"

"You do realize you'd be taking someone else's life in the process right?"

"Trust me, no one is going to miss the original. She was a petty thief and was about to cause someone harm when I possessed her," Tara assures her.

Cairo turns around with her hands behind her back. "Leave."

"H-huh?"

"The gods are putting their trust in me that I return all of the souls. So I'll turn a blind eye. But if you start causing trouble, I just might suddenly remember that you exist in this world…" She looks at Tara over her shoulder. "…And I will return."

"Say no more," she darts toward the window, but not before turning around, giving a slight bow. "Thank you Cairo. Pharaoh." And with that she leaves to live her new life in the present world.

"That was nice of you," Yami comments with his arms folded as they both stare out the window.

"Yeah well…" She rubs the back of her head with a smile. Taking a deep breath, she finds that now is the time to tell her father what she has been meaning to tell him. She wants to ensure that he is prepared for what he is going to face once it's time for him to complete his destiny. There is a rumble of thunder and a flash of lighting from the outside, practically matching her current mood. When she opens her mouth to speak, the doorbell rings. She sighs. Maybe she should just forget it with all of the distractions going on.

The door to the front door opens when they finally make it downstairs, revealing Téa, Joey, Duke and Tristan carrying balloons, a cake and boxes of pizza to Cairo's surprise. Yugi and Yami were already aware of what they were planning for Cairo. A farewell party before she has to return to the shadows.

"You gonna let us in?" Joey asks with a grin. "It's about to rain!"

Cairo silently steps to the side, still surprised by their appearance and why they were carrying so much food. "What is this?" she asks.

"Well we know that you won't be with us for much longer," Téa replies, rubbing her arm. "So we wanted to throw you a farewell party before you left."

"A…farewell party?" Cairo repeats with a confused look on her face. She has never heard of that before. "You're…happy to see me leave?"

Tristan flails his arms frantically, seeing that she has misinterpreted the meaning of a farewell party. "Gah! No, not at all Cairo! That's not what a farewell party is all about!"

"Think of it as a way to celebrate all of the times we had together," Duke chimes in, trying to offer some sort of clarity.

"And that we'll miss you so much," Téa finishes with a sad smile.

"Yeah. When you first came here, we didn't know what to expect. But as time went on, you have helped us in more ways than one," Joey continues.

"And I think I speak for everyone when I say that you are a true friend and we'll never forget you," Yugi says smiling.

Cairo bows her head with a smile, trying to contain her emotions. They did all of this for her? When she came here, she had one thing in mind and one thing only. To recapture all of the souls and to return to the Shadow Realm. That's it. But slowly she formed bonds and friendships with them, helping them throughout their journey. She never thought something like this would happen during her time here. But she is so glad it did. Now she will have new memories to reminisce on when she finally returns. She looks out a nearby window where it has started to pour and a feeling of sadness hits her. She doesn't want to go back.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she looks up to see Yugi looking down at her with a warm smile. "Are you hungry?" She manages to smile and nods.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

As they continue with the festivities at Yugi's house, Cairo wonders outside, sitting on the roof as the rain beats down on her head. Her normally spiky hair lays flat and her clothes are drenched. Nearing the end of her journey, she thinks back to everything she has experienced in this world. The modern day version of dueling along with the technology used to project the monsters of her past, how drastically the world has changed in terms of architecture and fashion and lastly, being able to see her father for the first time in 5,000 years. She has also managed to make friendships during her brief time there.

But she feels a great feeling of sadness nagging at her. It wasn't supposed to be this way. She wasn't supposed to make any connections while she was here. It was only supposed to be in and out. Retrieve the souls and return. That's it. Now that she has made those connections, it's making it harder for her to want to leave. But she has to. She looks up to the sky, letting the tears fall as she wraps her arms around her legs and brings her knees close to her as she sobs.

In the midst of her tears, she overhears the laughter from everyone downstairs along with music as they converse with each other and eat. As much as she would like to join them again, she knows that her time has come.

"It would just be too sad," she says to herself, not wanting to make an emotional scene by going back downstairs. She whips out her wand and taps the bottom of it on the ground two times, causing a dark portal to form in front of her. She takes a deep breath, taking one last look of her surroundings. In just a few moments, her world will be nothing but darkness.

Téa takes a sip of her drink and looks around in realization that Cairo isn't there. "Hey, where's Cairo? This party is for her after all."

"She went upstairs a few moments ago," Tristan says.

"I'll go get her," Joey volunteers and he runs up the stairs, navigating the dark hallways until he reaches Yugi's room. It is empty, but the sky roof is open, letting in a cool breeze.

"Cairo, you up there?" Joey calls out.

"Time to go back home I guess," Cairo says as the wind from the portal begins to pick up. "I'm glad I got to see him one last time." She closes her eyes and smiles, voluntarily taking steps forward to enter into the shadows.

Joey shields his face from the high winds and he looks up to the sky that are now clear as he finally reaches the roof. "That's weird. Is there another wave of storms coming?" he comments before his eyes land on the source of the wind. He sees a small figure walking inside and he gasps. "Cairo! Wait!" He crosses his arms over himself when the wind becomes more violent. He slowly feels himself being dragged in and he attempts to hold onto the wall. But the more he does, the more he feels his life force being sucked away until his body collapses and his world goes dark.

Yugi laughs with Tristan, Téa and now his grandfather who has recently joined them, relaying what happened at the tournament. Just as Yugi is about to take a bite out of his food, his Millennium Puzzle begins to glow and Yami appears alongside him, his arms folded across his chest and looking out of the window. His eyes are filled with concern, which is unusual for Yami.

'Is something wrong?' Yugi asks within his head.

'Cairo…'

"I'm going to see what's taking Cairo and Joey so long," Yugi tells the others and he runs up the stairs. He is surprised when he doesn't see any sign of Joey or Cairo anywhere. He goes into his room and then heads up to the open roof. He gasps in shock when he sees Joey's lifeless body on the ground and he quickly runs over.

"Joey!" he shakes him lightly, but gets no response. But the strong wind that he feels moments later doesn't give him much time to ask any questions. "What is that?!"

'Yugi, there's something I have to do,' Yami says, appearing beside him again.

'What do you mean?'

'I have a feeling Joey is in there…and so is Cairo,' Yami guesses.

'Are you saying this portal leads back to the Shadow Realm?'

'Yes. And it is far too dangerous for you to go.'

'Be careful pharaoh. Who knows what lies in there,' Yugi warns and Yami nods his head before stepping forward.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Joey slowly opens his eyes and rubs his head. The atmosphere around him is dark, cold and quiet. Laying on his back, he takes in his surroundings, his eyes going from left to right. "Where am I?"

"Somewhere you shouldn't be."

He gasps at hearing the familiar voice and he quickly sits up to see Cairo standing there, holding her wand over her shoulder. Her eyes are narrowed at him and he gulps nervously. "Uh…what is this place?"

She sighs heavily before answering, "You're in the Shadow Realm." Did she not close the portal in time when she stepped in?

He scrambles to his feet and his eyes nearly pop out of his head. "SAY WHAT?!"

"You're too loud." Joey holds onto his chest, trying to calm himself down and looks around once more. He has heard so many things about this place. He remembers how his dear friend Mai was stuck in the Shadow Realm for what seemed like forever. To think there are people like Cairo who have to spend all of eternity here.

"How did I end up here?" he asks. "The last time I remember is you walking through a portal and—" Realization hits him and he clenches his fists, his mouth going agape. "Wait a minute. What were you doing going back to the Shadow Realm without saying goodbye, huh?!"

Cairo scratches her chin and looks up. "Uh…"

"So you really were gonna leave and not say a thing? After all we've been through, Cairo. I thought you considered us your friends," he says, sounding really hurt and disappointed.

Cairo frowns. "You're all my friends, Joey. It's just that—"

"Joey! Cairo!" Yami's voice echoes through the dark atmosphere and Cairo's heart drops into the pit of her stomach. They both turn around to see Yami walking toward them with the Eye of Horus glowing on his forehead.

"Yugi!" Joey exclaims.

"Are you two alright?" he asks, standing across from them.

"We're fine. But Cairo's got some explaining to do," Joey says, looking down at her. "Why did you leave without saying anything to us?"

Cairo lowers her head, feeling the eyes of both of them locked on her. The truth is that she wanted to say goodbye. But goodbyes are never easy. She knows that her father promised to release her from the shadows, but she also doesn't want to get her hopes up in case the gods refuse his request.

Before she can answer, they begin to hear the sounds of evil laughter echoing throughout the area and Cairo narrows her eyes.

"Oh great. What was that?" Joey asks, fearing the worst.

"You two need to leave. Now," Cairo instructs them, continuing to hold her wand over her shoulder as she walks forward.

"The soul of the pharaoh has come to us," a voice says before laughing. "What did we do to earn this special treat?" In all directions, multiple red colored souls begin to appear, their laughs growing louder and louder to the point where it is almost deafening. Cairo's eyes scroll calmly from left to right, trying to mentally count the number of souls appearing. She knows that her father's presence has triggered them and she needs to get him and Joey out of there as soon as possible.

The souls begin to take form of shadowy figures with red glowing eyes and Joey begins to shake with fear. "Aw man. This ain't good."

Cairo turns around and walks to Joey and Yami. "I'm sorry. I know this is not how you wanted to say goodbye."

"Cairo, we're not leaving you here," Yami says.

"Yeah, there's no way you can face them all on your own!" Joey adds. To their surprise, Cairo smiles. She is surprisingly calm and shows no hint of fear at all. But this has been her life for centuries. With her back still turned to the souls, they attempt to all attack at once, putting Yami and Joey on alert.

"Freeze spell." Cairo turns around partially and points her wand at them and they all stop in place. She then twirls her wand and places it back over her shoulder, putting her attention back on the two individuals in front of her. "That'll buy you guys some time."

"But Cairo!" Joey yells in protest. Is she seriously going to stay behind and fight them all herself?

She turns to her father. Now is the time to tell him what she's been wanting to all this time. "I know you've already made a promise to me…you know the one about releasing me from the Shadow Realm…"

"That's right," Yami replies.

"But I have something else I need you to promise me."

"And what's that?"

She sighs. "You and I will see each other again when you are reliving the days of your past. This also means that you will relive that fateful day when evil overcomes me and I turn against you. And when that day comes, I need you to promise me you'll do everything in your power to kill me."

Yami's eyes widen and his heart drops while Joey's mouth goes agape. "Say what?" Yami takes a step back. She can't be serious. Did he hear her correctly?

"You heard me."

"No…I couldn't possibly…I—"

Cairo reaches out and holds his hand. She can feel him trembling a little and understandably so. She just asked a lot from him just now. "It's okay."

"Way to drop a huge bombshell Cairo," Joey says, equally as shocked as Yami is.

"I'm sorry," she apologizes, lowering her eyes.

"There's gotta be another way. I can't…I can't do that to you, Cairo," Yami says.

"I just wanted to give you a heads up so you're not shocked when the time comes," Cairo tells him, releasing his hand and lowering her hand to her side. "Unfortunately it's either that, or I will kill you and anyone else that gets in my way. And I don't want that and neither do you. If you die before fulfilling your destiny, then I definitely can't be released from my prison."

Yami looks down to the ground and clenches his teeth. He may have not known her for long, but that's still his daughter. Their bond has grown so much since she appeared and he can understand the visions Cairo showed him, depicting their close father-daughter relationship. But he never stopped to think that he would have to be the one to defeat her in the end.

"Hey…" She levitates in the air so that she is eye level with him, giving him one of the softest smiles that he has ever seen from her compared to her usual stoic gaze. "It's gonna be okay." She wraps her arms around him in a strong embrace and he returns her hug, not wanting to let her go. He looks over her shoulder, hearing the growls and screams of the angry souls that are waiting to pounce.

"It's time for you to go," she says softly.

"Cairo…" Yami can feel his heart beating out of his chest and he squeezes her tighter. As much as he doesn't want to admit it, he knows they have no other choice but to leave her there. He thinks back on the promise that he made her. When he finally completes his destiny and uncovers the mysteries of his past, he will do everything in his power to set her free. She has suffered for far too long.

"I'm so glad I got to see you one more time."

He pulls away just enough for them to look into each other's eyes. She can see that he is trying hard to hold in the tears. His eyes are watery and red, but he manages to hold it together. For her. "And we will see each other again. That's a promise."

Joey growls in frustration. "There's no way we're leavi—"

"It's alright Joey," Yami says to Joey's surprise as he releases her from his arms.

"Are you nuts, man?!"

"Joey," Cairo says and he looks at her. Even he had to keep his emotions in check as he gazes at the girl in front of her who stands before hundreds of angry souls. But she smiles in a way that makes him feel that she is going to be okay and he uses the back of his arm to wipe his face.

"You kick their butts, alright? Show 'em who's boss!" he exclaims and she nods with a confident smile.

"Please tell everyone else that I'll miss them and thank them for everything," she tells them. "Now go. The portal should still be open." She turns her back to them, preparing to face off against the souls.

Yami and Joey nod their heads before making a run for the portal. The seal that Cairo had around the souls has finally broken and they rush at her all at once. Joey is the first to reach the portal and he is able to make it out. Before Yami steps foot, he takes one last look back as the souls surrounding Cairo. The last thing he sees is her looking back at him from over shoulder, grinning as her eyes glow purple before the darkness covers her completely.

He finally makes it out and the portal closes behind him. Yugi tends to Joey who is slowly getting to his feet and rubbing his head. Joey looks toward the direction where the portal previously was and he sighs. "She's gone," he says. "She's really gone."

Yugi looks over to Yami who stands at his side, staring out into the night sky with his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

'Pharaoh…?' He can feel the amount of hurt that the pharaoh is feeling in this current moment. A feeling of emptiness lingers in his heart and a tear falls from Yami's cheek and onto the ground.

That night, Yugi sits up in bed, watching as Yami gazes out of the window, silently sobbing to himself. He has never seen the pharaoh in this much distress before and wishes there is something that he can say to make him feel better.

'Pharaoh,' Yugi calls out to him, getting out of bed to stand behind him.

'I'm sorry, Yugi. Did I wake you?'

Yugi shakes his head. 'No, you're fine.' He watches as Yami lifts his arm to his face to wipe away his tears before turning around.

'Did you need something?' Even in his current mood, he's still concerned about others, which isn't surprising to Yugi. The pharaoh always put the needs of others before himself.

'Just checking up on you…How are you feeling?'

'There were so many of them Yugi,' Yami answers, referring to the amount of souls he saw in the Shadow Realm that attacked her. 'I feel so guilty for leaving her there all alone.' He lowers his eyes. 'I just hope she's okay.'

'Without a doubt, I know she is,' Yugi replies with confidence and Yami turns his head away.

'How can you be so sure?'

'You and I have both seen her in action. She's extremely powerful…and…she's your daughter.' Yami's head whips over to look at him, his eyes wide and Yugi nods. Typically the roles would be reversed between the two of them and Yami would be offering him words of comfort or encouragement. But Yugi can see that the pharaoh needs him now more than ever in this very moment.

'She's strong…just like you,' Yugi continues. 'No matter how tough things have gotten for her, she has always pushed through. Just like you.'

'Yugi…'

'And I know once you have completed your destiny, you two will reunite again and she won't have to suffer anymore.'

The doubt slowly removes itself from his face. He needed to hear that. And Yugi is right. Just as Cairo will push through and be strong, so will he. As the day nears for him to face his past, he not only keeps in mind that he will be on another journey to complete his destiny and regain his memories, but completing his destiny will also include releasing Cairo from the shadows once and for all.

He remembers that look in her eyes, just before he left the Shadow Realm. That unperturbed look on her face as the shadows surrounded her. It was as if she was giving him a silent reassurance to not worry about her despite her situation. And she was confident. It was in that moment that she fully believed that he would be successful in freeing her and all of her own doubts went away. Because like her, he has always persevered.

Gazing out of the window once more with determination, he clenches his fist. 'Wait for me Cairo.'

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Will the pharaoh keep his promise? Stay tuned! Leave a review! I love hearing about how you guys are liking it and it makes my day!


	20. The Millennium World

"Pharaoh? Pharaoh wake up. Now is not the time to be napping," an old voice says.

A light groan escapes his lips and he stirs a little as he slowly opens his amethyst eyes. The last thing he remembers is approaching the stone slab at the museum and presenting the three Egyptian God cards. His spirit separated from Yugi and then…

With his eyes fully open and his vision clear, he gasps. He sits in a large open room upon a golden throne where people are bowing to him. Then he looks down at his clothes. Instead of sporting a school uniform belonging to Yugi, he wears a white skirt, tank top with a navy blue tunic and matching cape. As the people that were previously kneeling finally stand up straight, he recognizes a few faces. One in particular really strikes him.

"Kaiba…?" he says to himself before looking to his right as a man resembling Yugi's grandfather takes off his mask. "…and grandpa?"

"Who's grandpa?" the older man asks with an eyebrow raised.

"My pharaoh, perhaps we should postpone the celebration," Seto suggests.

"That won't be necessary. Please carry on," says Yami. As the festivities continue, he watches as women dance in front of him while men play various instruments. Then his eyes go to the people closest to him, each wielding a Millennium Item. "All of these people work for me?" he asks himself. "And each one of them holds a Millennium Item?"

"Have you forgotten?" Shimon whispers and Yami looks over at him. "These are the six members of your sacred court. They were chosen by the Millennium Items themselves. Each one is destined to wield its power in the name of the pharaoh."

Setting his sights back on the festivities in front of him, many questions enter his mind. Had he really been transported back in time? Or are these events simply happening in his mind?

As the day goes on, he learns about the origins of Duel Monsters and how the monsters are stored inside stone tablets, as well as how a duel would occur in the past. A lot of what is he witnessing is a bit overwhelming to him, but he tries to grasp everything as best as he can.

Suddenly, Priestess Isis' Millennium Necklace begins to glow and she closes her eyes, trying to focus on what the necklace is trying to show her. "I'm sensing a great evil headed our way."

"What?!" Seto exclaims, narrowing his eyes.

A priest by name of Mahad also grimaces when a huge force shoots through his body. He looks down to his Millennium Ring that glows just as Isis' necklace does.

"Mahad, what's wrong?" Priest Aknadin, the holder of the Millennium Eye asks.

"We are in the presence of pure evil!" Mahad tells them.

A panic soon ensues in the palace when they hear the screams of civilians coming from outside, and the clanking of swords between the guards and what they believe to be the intruders. The final guard that stands just before the entrance, cries out, collapsing to the ground and the palace guests make a run for it.

"Who goes there?" Mahad asks.

"Pardon the interruption," a voice replies and a dark figure appears from the shadows. He has melanin skin and wears a red coat. His scarred chest is visible and he carries a bag full of treasures, presumably from a tomb that he robbed. "But apparently somebody left me off the guest list!"

Narrowing his eyes, Yami recognizes the intruder standing before them. He is a foe that he has fought in the present world and he has continued to be a problem ever since. "Bakura!" Yami growls. "What do you want from me?"

"Now is that any way to speak to an old friend, your highness? I believe you know what I came here to acquire," Bakura replies with a grin.

Yami's eyes widen in realization. It's something that Bakura has always been trying to get his hands on. "The Millennium Items!"

Bakura snickers. "I hope I haven't ruined your little celebration, folks!"

"Your mockery is a disgrace to the pharaoh and for that you shall be punished, rogue!" Seto shoots back.

"Not so fast! I reside in the outskirts of your kingdom, so your rules don't apply to me! Now if you wouldn't mind handing over your Millennium Items!"

"What?!" Shada asks in disbelief.

"I didn't mean for free," Bakura clarifies before throwing the treasures at their feet. "I've come bearing gifts!"

"You stole those!" Shimon exclaims.

"I assumed those wouldn't be enough. So I brought something else!" Bakura uses his fingers to whistle to his horse and they begin to hear the galloping noises fast approaching the throne room. As the horse approaches, it also appears to be dragging something large behind it. "Say hello to your previous king!" He steps on top of a coffin to everyone's horror.

"You dare disrespect the tomb of the former pharaoh!" Seto yells.

"Bakura! Now you've gone too far!" the pharaoh yells, slamming his fist down.

"Pharaoh Aknamkanon was a tyrant!" Bakura shouts, his anger seething and very apparent in his eyes. "He destroyed my village when he tried to fashion the seven Millennium Items in a selfish attempt to further his own power!"

"You lie!" Aknadin says. "King Aknamkanon put an end to the great wars that ravaged our nation! He brought peace and prosperity! He then created the seven Millennium Items to ensure that harmony would reign forever in Egypt!"

"Correct. Then he gave those tools to us in order to keep the peace and help rule the land with justice as well as to thwart evil doers such as yourself, Bakura," Seto chimes in.

"Your king wanted power," Bakura says. "That's why he devised a plan to use the seven items to control the entire world! The secret lies in the village of Kul Elna!"

"Enough lies!" Mahad exclaims.

"What you speak is treason," Aknadin says, but a chill shoots through his body. He wonders how he knows about the incident since the secret of Kul Elna's existence was buried ages ago. Had Bakura possibly escaped from the village before it was destroyed?

'So it was the previous pharaoh that created the Millennium Items?' Yami asks himself. He also caught onto Bakura's mention of the village and he gasps in realization. It is the same village that Cairo had referred to and why the souls were after him. Once again he finds himself having more questions.

"I'm sorry you had to see this pharaoh," Shimon says, being overcome with emotion. He never imagined the former pharaoh that he also served alongside with would make his return in such a disgraceful manner. "We cannot let this monster continue to dishonor our heritage by spouting false accusations and lies! And you must not believe what he says about Pharaoh Aknamkanon. He was kind and just. Please trust me."

Yami nods.

After attempts by his six priests to take down Bakura and his monster that goes by the name of Diabound, the pharaoh stepped in, giving Bakura a run for his money by summoning the Egyptian God, Obelisk the Tormentor. But to everyone's surprise, he and Diabound were evenly matched, even going against something as powerful as an Egyptian God.

On the outside of the palace where there is complete chaos, a small girl walks toward the entrance. Her clothes are completely drenched and she leaves droplets of water with each step that she takes. She wears a white pleated skirt and matching tank top with a golden necklace. She carries the golden crown that is normally on forehead, in her right hand and her long black hair drapes all the way down her back, nearly touching the ground.

Hearing a galloping noise quickly approaching, she hides behind a nearby pillar and peeks out, seeing a gray haired intruder make a run for it. She watches the failed attempts of the guards as they try and stop him to no avail. "Gee, I wonder what's going on," she asks herself before continuing inside the palace. She has spent all day at the Nile River, practicing her magic and occasionally getting distracted, having fun playing in the water well into the evening before the sun went completely down. Knowing that she is supposed to be back home way earlier than now, she sneaks back in, hoping the current distractions will cause her to enter the palace unseen.

Watching the guards scramble to catch Bakura, Yami looks down from a high balcony. The area outside of the palace that is full of merchants and civilians has been set on fire and soon, the focus goes from catching Bakura to putting the flames out.

'So I was sent back in time to relive these events all over again?' thinks to himself.

Shimon, Mahad, Seto and Aknadin approach him from behind. "My king, you fought bravely," Aknadin compliments.

"Yes. Thanks to you, we can all rest well," Seto says and the pharaoh looks back. This version of Seto is completely opposite to the one has grown to know in the 21st century.

'If only Kaiba were able to see himself fighting boldly by my side.'

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After everything as settled, Yami walks down the inner corridor of the palace, being escorted by Mahad. After a night like this, Mahad advised him not to be out on his own as a precaution. As they walk down the stairs past a row of vases, a knocking sound comes from one of them, putting the two men on alert.

"What was that?" the pharaoh asks.

"Stay behind me." Mahad stands protectively in front of the pharaoh as they wait for the person to make their big reveal. And a big reveal it is.

A brown haired woman jumps out, with her arms and legs spread wide in excitement as she latches onto the pharaoh, startling him. She giggles while he continues to look at her with surprise. Her brown hair is spiky in a downward position and she wears a pleated miniskirt, charmed bracelets around her wrists and ankles and matching necklace, belt and headwear.

Mahad hits his forehead. "Is that really appropriate out in the open?"

She jumps down and grins. "I just missed him, that's all."

"Where were you anyway? Why weren't you here for the pharaoh's festivities?"

She clasps her hands together apologetically and flinches, turning back to the pharaoh who has gotten somewhat relaxed after her surprise appearance. "Sorry! Sorry! I totally went overboard with the training today and it slipped my mind!" she apologizes. "But he has a ton of festivities on a daily basis! Missing one won't hurt right?"

Mahad sighs and Yami cracks a smile at her bubbly and energetic nature. He wonders what significance she has in his life. If he could take a guess, he would say that he, Mahad and the woman in front of him shared a close friendship. But the more she stands there, the more he feels himself drawn to her. It could just be her energetic self. Everyone else in the palace seems pretty cut and dry in terms of personality, but there is something about her.

Without thinking, he speaks. But "Mana" is all he can muster to say and even that surprises him. Where did that come from? He blinks a few times and at the sound of her name, she turns to him.

"Yes?" she says with a smile.

'So that's her name? How did I—? How could I have possibly known—?' Sweat begins to drop down his face. Besides recognizing Seto and Isis, who went by Ishizu in the present world, he is shocked that he would even know what her name is. But it just came to him.

Mana tilts her head, waving her hand in front of his face to snap him out of his thoughts. "You okay?"

"Mana, don't change the subject," Mahad says with his arms folded. "You're a queen now. It's time you start acting like it."

The pharaoh's eyes go wide and his heart begins to pound. 'Queen?! _She's_ the queen? Does that also mean she's my...'

Mana fans her hand with a chuckle. "I'm also a magician. I refuse to be one of those queens that doesn't do anything. If the time ever comes, I want to be able to fight by his side too!"

"So you _were_ practicing? I find that hard to believe," Mahad says and Mana dims her eyes. She is his apprentice and has been known to skip out on lessons and goof off.

"Why is that so hard to believe?"

"You haven't changed since we were kids." Before she can come up with a rebuttal, he quickly changes the subject. "Cairo was noticeably absent as well."

"Cairo's…here?" the pharaoh asks slowly, his heart dropping at the sound of her name. He remembers when he saw her last, fighting for her life in the shadows and fending off the evil souls. The bravery she showed even when the odds were against her. How she helped him get to this point. He cannot forget his other goal. He has to keep his promise.

Mana rubs the back of her head. "She should be. She's probably hiding somewhere."

"Like mother like daughter," Mahad says and Mana giggles.

'Mana is…Cairo's mother…it all makes sense now.' Once again, Cairo's words fill his head. He remembers when they sat at the park in Domino and how she described what her mother was like.

_"__I'd like to think, when you see her again, you'll know it's her. Because the bond between the two of you was strong,"_ he remembers Cairo saying. It's no wonder her name came so quickly to him.

Mana looks over at Yami. His face is a little pale and he seems out of it. She moves in closer, her face being inches apart from his and he feels his cheeks starting to turn red. She presses her forehead to his and his body goes stiff, trying to prepare himself for whatever it is she's trying to do. But she pulls back, looking at him with a bit of concern.

"You haven't been walking around in the desert without a hat again, now have you?" she asks to which he looks at her in confusion.

"I think what she's trying to say is that we should all be trying to get our rest. It's been a long day," Mahad says and Mana nods in agreement.

"Very well," the pharaoh replies. That doesn't seem like such a bad idea at all.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

After making his rounds and observing the damage on the outside village the next morning, Mahad returns back to the palace, walking through the courtyard. The damage done by the fires Bakura and his group of thugs started was pretty extensive, but he was able to instill hope to the people in the affected areas, vowing to stop Bakura once and for all and to ensure the tomb of the previous pharaoh wasn't disturbed again.

He currently has a team of his sorcerers putting a magical barrier around the wall of the tomb at this very moment.

Turning a corner, he walks into the gardens, spotting a little girl with long black hair. She seems focused on her palms, rubbing them together briefly before pulling them apart, causing a spark of magical energy to appear for a split second and it disappears. Growling in frustration, she drops her hands in defeat and Mahad approaches the young sorcerer in training.

"Working hard I see," Mahad says and she looks over at him. "That's quite impressive, Cairo."

"Yeah, but I don't know what I'm doing wrong."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You're far advanced for your age and that shouldn't be taken lightly." He watches as she attempts her magic again, only for it to end up with the same outcome. He smiles. "Just release it."

She looks over at him, tilting her head to the side. "But…" Taking a few steps away, he folds his arms across his chest to her confusion. "Uh…Mahad?"

"Go ahead," he says with a confident nod. "Come at me with all you've got."

"What if I hurt you?"

"You won't. I promise."

She hesitates for a minute before taking a defensive stance, taking his words of reassurance as a challenge. "Okay. Here goes."

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"So how are you feeling today?" Mana asks as she skips behind the pharaoh while they walk in the courtyard.

"Much better. Thank you for asking," Yami replies, looking at her from over his shoulder.

"Oh good. You kinda had me worried there!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you any alarm."

Although only a day has passed since 'meeting' her, he is finding himself more drawn to her. Talking with her has come so natural and he finds it easy to open up to her. Hearing her casually talk about stories of their childhood gives him insight as to what his life was like before he became king, as well as how they became a family and how she became his queen. She was reluctant to the idea at first, wondering if she would have to give up her ambitions on become an elite spell caster.

"I'm sorry for not being there for your festivities yesterday," she apologizes. "I know I can goof off and what not, but I truly was practicing my magic and when I get so immersed in my magic, sometimes I can lose track of time."

The pharaoh stops and turns around with a reassuring smile. "It's alright. Being a great spell caster means a lot to you."

"I heard about the incident yesterday. Bakura seems like a tough foe and I want to be able to help."

"Yes," the pharaoh agrees with a nod, his expression turning more serious. "He was able to go toe to toe with something as powerful as Obelisk the Tormentor. He will be unlike anyone we've ever faced."

"That's why I have to continue to push myself. For you and all of Egypt," she says with a look of determination. "I know I can't amount to a power like an Egyptian God, but I can at least try to help somehow."

"Thank you, Mana."

"We're a team." She smiles and he returns the same expression before they're interrupted by what sounds like a tussle between two people from not that far away. Yami and Mana both exchange looks, then they dash off in the direction of the noise. As they peek around the corner to get a closer look, Yami's eyes widen while Mana chuckles, seeing the small girl facing off with Mahad.

"Cairo…?" he says in a slight whisper. Could it be? Her appearance is slightly different than what he remembers, with her hair being much longer and her amethyst eyes are narrowed with determination. But her current fighting style is different as she stays more on the defense and seems somewhat unsure about her abilities. The Cairo that he came to know barely showed any type of emotion, her strength was immeasurable and she displayed her abilities with ease. But the version in front of him seems to be in learning mode, trying to hone her abilities.

Cairo grunts, crossing her arms protectively in front of herself after being pushed back by a magical force field from Mahad. "Release that energy Cairo. I know you—"

Cairo lets out a frustrated cry, jumping up into the air and swinging her hands behind her head. Her eyes begin to glow purple to Mahad's surprise and a ball of magical energy forms in her palms. "Hyaah!" she screams, bringing her hands forward and shooting out a charged magical attack so strong that it even puts Mahad on alert. Yami's mouth goes slightly agape. That purple glow in her eyes. It really is Cairo. There's no doubt about it.

Previously not moving from his spot, Mahad goes on the defensive and outstretches his hands, grunting as her blast hits his palms and he deflects it, sending it right back at her. Panicking, Cairo covers her eyes. Mahad sees Mana peeking from behind a nearby wall alongside the pharaoh and he silently signals to his apprentice, motioning at the blast that is quickly approaching the child and Mana whips out her wand, forming a magical barrier around Cairo as Yami watches with fascination.

When the smokes finally clears, Cairo slowly uncovers her eyes just as Mahad walks up to her. At first she thinks that he is going to be mad at her for being frightened like that, but instead he gives her a warm smile. "I knew you could do it."

She looks down at her hands, surprised at the fact that she was actually successful in releasing a magical blast. "Whoa…"

"You okay?" Mana asks, going up to her and kneeling down with a hand placed on the child's shoulder.

"That was awesome!" Cairo exclaims once the initial shakiness wears off and Mana laughs.

"_You're_ awesome!" Mana cheers.

"My king, I'm sorry for the commotion," Mahad says with a bow, before looking back at Cairo who talks enthusiastically to her mother. "I'm quite impressed with how far she's come, especially at her age. Not even my most skilled students can do that." Mana clears her throat with a grin and Mahad shakes his head. "Of course my apprentice is quite capable."

"It's not a problem at all, Mahad," the pharaoh assures him, also setting his sights on Cairo. She beams from ear to ear, an expression that throws him off completely. In contrast to her 'shadow' self, she is full of so much life.

"Did you see me, dad?" she asks excitedly with balled up fists.

He smiles. "I did. I'm very impressed Cairo. Keep practicing and you will go far." She giggles and her smile becomes bigger than before as he places his hand on her head.

'Cairo. I promise I'll do everything to save you.'

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

And here's your introduction to the Millennium World portion of the story. Like before, I won't delve in too much since I assume you watched the series and can fill in the gaps. This will mainly focus on the events that led up to Cairo being sent to the Shadow Realm, and how the pharaoh will attempt to save her.

I did make changes in terms of Yami being a more established pharaoh as opposed to it being his first day. And obviously Mana being the queen, being able to still pursue her dreams of being an elite spell caster in the mean time.

Leave a review!


	21. Tragedy Strikes

It was supposed to be like any other night. The days were long and sometimes stressful, but night time was mostly the time to unwind after a hard day. But not tonight.

As all of the priests and the pharaoh slept, Mahad engaged in a battle at the magician's training grounds, located in the middle of the desert. Bakura had been eyeing Mahad's Millennium Ring since he first laid eyes on it. After finding Mahad's location, he and a few of his men rode on their dark colored horses to the magician's location. But little did Bakura know, Mahad was expecting him and he was lured into a trap. They soon engaged in an intense duel. Since their last duel in the palace, Bakura's Diabound had taken on a somewhat different form that also came with a greater amount of strength and abilities.

Mahad was confident though. He had faith in his Illusion Magician.

As the battle raged on though, Bakura had proved to be an incredibly strong foe and Mahad made the ultimate sacrifice.

After fearing that Mahad was in trouble, the pharaoh and Mana were able to pinpoint his location, but it was too late.

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The sun is beginning to rise slowly into the sky. The pharaoh looks up at the stone tablet of Mahad's monster carved into it, feeling a wave of emotions. There are questions as to why Mahad decided to pursue Bakura on his own, knowing how powerful of a foe he was. But from the brief moments that he has gotten to known Mahad, he has come to know him as someone who is extremely loyal and someone who would do anything to protect the kingdom and all of Egypt, even if it meant his own life.

Priests Seto, Shada, Aknadin and Karim finally arrive at the scene, only to have a similar reaction to the pharaoh once they realize that Mahad's soul has been sealed. Priestess Isis arrives shortly after, her eyes immediately going to the large stone tablet that contains the image of a magician. Her heart drops to the pit of her stomach. She had previously warned Mahad not to go through with this, as she had seen the events of the battle in her visions.

"Mahad!" Mana sobs, leaning on the tablet as she continues to weep uncontrollably. "Please come back!"

Yami approaches her from behind and crouches down, holding onto her arms consolingly. "Mana…"

She whips her head to him with tears in her eyes. "He's gone…please I beg of you, use your powers and release him from that stone! Or can't you?! Please tell me it's not too late!"

Before the pharaoh can say anything, Isis intervenes. "Mana! Mahad's spirit is very much alive existing deep within that stone. In fact, he's even stronger now." She sighs. "My Millennium Necklace has shown me all. He fused himself together with his most trusted creature."

Mana looks back at her. "What? I'm confused."

"Mahad has been transformed!" she replies, walking closer to the stone and gazing at it. "He will now be known as the Dark Magician!"

"Dark Magician?" Mana repeats, before the realization sets in that he still isn't going to be around. It's going to be hard coming to terms that he is no longer living, nor is he going to be here to help guide her through her trainings. And the tears begin to fall once more. "But my training isn't complete and I need Master Mahad!" She drops forward to the ground. "I want to become an elite spell caster! I can't do it alone!"

The ride back to palace is long and silent with Priest Seto leading the way and the other priests trailing behind as the pharaoh rides in the middle. Yami looks from the corner of his eye, seeing Mana's head lowered. Her bangs hide her eyes, yet he can still see the tears trailing down her cheeks. He looks down to her arms that are wrapped around his waist as his horse gallops through the sand and he takes one hand off the reigns to place it on top of her hand, giving it a light squeeze.

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"Due to Mahad's carelessness, that lunatic Bakura is more dangerous than ever," Seto says as they stand in the throne room. "He is in control of the Millennium Ring now."

"Now wait," Karim intervenes. "That has yet to be confirmed. For all we know, Bakura was buried under rubble when the sacred sanctuary collapsed."

"Perhaps. However, my Millennium Key still senses his presence," Shada says.

"And Isis," Shimon says. "What does your Millennium item tell you about this? Can you see Bakura's future?"

"Sadly, I cannot," she replies with her eyes lowered.

"On behalf of the sacred court, I apologize for these failures," Seto says. "Believe me, I speak for everyone of us when I say we will not disappoint you again, pharaoh."

"I am sorry my king," Isis apologizes.

"Apologies aren't necessary Isis," Shimon says. "What we need are solutions."

"Of course, Master Shimon. I shall do everything in my power to break through the darkness that conceals Bakura from my vision."

"That is all we can ask," Yami says.

"Pharaoh, with all due respect, time is of the essence. Please allow me to lead the hunt for Bakura. I already have a plan in place," Seto proposes and Aknadin looks over at him questionably. "To start, all gateways to and from the kingdom must be sealed to keep him in. Next, every citizen must be carefully observed since no one can be trusted."

"He's right. Until we have more information, everyone's a suspect," Shimon agrees.

"Very well," the pharaoh says. "Proceed. So let it be written, so let it be done."

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Wearing a mask over her face that only makes her amethyst eyes visible, Cairo journeys outside of the palace, going into the local market. The crown that she normally sports on her head has been left back at the palace, including the jewelry she would typically be adorned with. The last thing she wants is for any unnecessary attention to be on her. It's not everyday that she gets treated like a normal human being. In the palace, are all of her needs are attended to, whether she asks for it or not.

Everyone in the palace has been acting quite strange since the day started, but no one has told her why. All she knows is that her mother is very distraught, Priestess Isis is very shaken up and the rest of the priests have been talking amongst themselves about who knows what. But one thing she did notice was that Mahad wasn't there. Had something happened to him?

A mango stand catches her attention and she walks over, her eyes going big with fascination at the vibrant colors of the juicy and delicious fruit. She places a coin down and grabs one, tossing it up into the air as she continues down the market. She looks up to the sky, taking a huge whiff of the fresh air before dropping her shoulders with a sigh. But something soon catches her eye as she gazes up. There appear to be four dots falling from the sky and she swears she can hear them screaming.

A bump from of the villagers causes her to trip over her feet and she falls to the ground. "Watch where ya going kid!" the man yells, stepping over her and she grunts. She looks down to the fruit in her hands, breathing a sigh of relief when she sees that it is untouched. Then she looks back up to the sky, only to see the screaming specs that she saw earlier, are gone.

Joey and Tristan hold onto each other as they plummet to the ground and Téa shuts her eyes. Yugi, on the other hand, is the calmest of them all, even sporting a smile on his face from finally being able to access the pharaoh's world. Miraculously, they land on their feet in the middle of the market and they look around in awe. It is clear that they are not in Domino City anymore. The buildings are built differently and the people around them are dressed differently as well.

"Uh…did we just travel through some sort of time warp?" Joey asks and Yugi nods.

"Just look at us," Tristan says, turning to them. "We stand out like sore thumbs."

"Yeah, you're right," Téa agrees as people walk past them. "But for some reason, it seems like everyone is ignoring us."

"Well not for long! How ya doin' folks! Jumpin' Joey Wheeler, here!" Joey announces loudly, but he gets no acknowledgement from the people that carry on with their tasks. He blinks. "Hello?"

"Told you," Téa says.

But Joey doesn't plan on giving up so easily, setting his sights on a woman that is coming directly at them. He stands up straight, waving his hand. "Hey wait a sec! I'm sure this nice young girl knows who I am after my huge greeting!" He gives a friendly smile, blushing, but it face soon drops when she passes directly through him. He screams, dropping to the ground and pointing at her. "SHE'S A GHOST! DID YOU SEE THAT?!"

"If we're in the world of the pharaoh's memories, then it's no wonder people can't see us, right?" Yugi guesses. "We didn't exist 5,000 years ago so we're not really apart of this place."

"Wait a sec," Téa says, looking down at him with a slight panicked expression. "Does that mean when we find that pharaoh, he won't be able to see us either?"

"Who knows. But there's only one way to find out." They all look forward to the large palace that stands at a distance. "We have to go see him."

It only takes a few steps forward before Joey lets out a loud groan, dropping to the ground once again. Téa looks down at him with disbelief. "Oh come on. You're kidding right?"

Joey places a hand on his stomach. "You know I can't run without any food in the tank. I want a hot dog!"

Tristan lets out a similar groan, dropping to his knees. "Did you say hot dog?"

"Oh great. You too Tristan?" She folds her arms. Before she can scold them any further, they hear yelling from a group of people that seem to stand around in a circle, crowding around something. Joey and Tristan pop up to their feet and they all run over to see what the commotion is about. They all gasp when they see a woman with blue hair laying on the round, being pelted on with rocks.

"So you guys wanna pick on someone, do ya?!" Joey yells, raising his fist.

"Then pick on us!" Tristan chimes in, standing defensively.

"It's no use, you guys. They can't hear us," Téa reminds them.

Tristan sucks his teeth, feeling helpless. "Think guys! We have to do something!"

Hearing the commotion, Cairo peeks in between the crowd of people, her eyes scrolling down to the woman and then over to the people surrounding her, throwing rocks. Telling by how the woman looks, she appears to be harmless, so she is confused as to why they're doing this. The whole point of her coming out is to lay low and enjoy not being 'seen.' But she can't bring herself to standing around and doing nothing.

She runs forward, and the rock throwing comes to a halt. "Move kid!" one of the hecklers yells. "Or you'll be next!"

"Leave her alone!" Cairo shouts.

"I warned ya kid!" The rock throwing continues and they come at her from different directions.

"She's gonna get hurt!" Téa yells worriedly.

"Look out!" Joey warns.

Cairo briefly closes her eyes before reopening them, a purple aura surrounding her that matches her glowing eyes to everyone's shock. Yugi's eyes go wide. There's only one person he knows that is capable of doing such a thing, but could it really be her? He looks at the long black hair that drapes down her back. Maybe he is mistaken?

"What is she?" a spectator asks.

"Let's get out of here!"

The crowd soon disperses and Cairo closes her eyes, causing the rocks to drop to the ground. She sighs with relief before turning around, tending to the wounded woman.

Téa watches the girl kneel down, her face partially covered by her mask, but her narrowed amethyst eyes are very much visible. "Yugi, you don't think that's…"

Not wanting to keep guessing, Joey steps forward, pointing to the small child dramatically. "HEY!" he yells.

Tristan side eyes him. "Joey, she can't—" Cairo's head springs up and she looks directly at them, her face filled with alarm and confusion at their appearance and odd clothing.

"Gah! She can see us!"

"Cairo, is that you?" Yugi asks, and she raises an eyebrow. The guy standing in front of her looks just like her father, but something seems very off. His skin tone isn't the same, his eyes are more innocent, not to mention his weird wardrobe. Is this some sort of trick? She slowly stands up, her eyes still fixated on them.

"It's us, remember? Your friends!" Joey says, taking a step up to her and she takes a step back.

Téa frowns. "You guys, I think we're scaring her."

"W-Who are you?" the girl asks.

"What is this about?" comes a familiar voice and they all look up, gasping loudly when they see a man that greatly resembles Kaiba riding on his horse and wearing royal wardrobe.

"No way!" Yugi exclaims in shock. "It's Kaiba!" And just like everyone else, he cannot see them.

Cairo steps to the side, revealing the woman standing behind her and Kaiba's eyes go big. He isn't expecting to see _her_ of all people. After saving her from a group of thugs when they were younger and helping her escape, he thought her would never see her again.

Shada raises his Millennium Key up to the woman and it begins to glow. What he feels next is incredibly shocking to him. "What's this?! The power within her! It's too strong!" A silhouette of a blue dragon appears and he cries out from its immense strength, dropping to his knees.

"Shada?"

"I've never felt…such a powerful spirit before," he pants, sweat trickling down his face.

"Really?" Seto asks, looking down at her briefly before turning to the guards. "Guards! She comes with us! Hurry! To the palace at once!" He then looks at the little girl disapprovingly and she chuckles lightly, rubbing the back of her head nervously. "Speak nothing of this incident and I won't tell your father that you snuck out of the palace." Cairo raises an eyebrow, confused as to why he doesn't want her saying anything about the woman that he is bringing back to the palace, but if saying nothing is going to get her out of trouble, then her lips are sealed. She follows closely behind as they head back.

"Did you hear what he said earlier, guys? They're headed to the palace!" Téa says, clenching her fists.

"They could be our ticket to see the pharaoh!" Yugi realizes.

"Well what are we waiting for? To the palace!" Joey exclaims, pointing in that direction before snickering. "I've always wanted to say that."

They follow Seto, Shada and the guards to the palace, immediately being wowed by the large statues surrounding them and the gigantic palace before them. "Whoa, look at the size of these things," Joey comments, looking at the statues.

"It's good to be the king!" Tristan says.

"Uh, you guys? We might want to get a move on," Téa says, seeing that they're trailing behind at a great distance and they are starting to close the huge stone doors of the palace walls. They rush up to the doors just as they completely close shut and their jaws drop with disappointment.

"Now what do we do?!" Tristan asks.

Joey grins, walking in front of all of them. "Come on guys. Don't sweat it! We can walk through everything! And I'm sure solid stone gates are no exception!" he says confidently as he continues to walk forward, expecting to go right through it. Instead, his face is met abruptly with the hard surface and he falls to the ground.

"Joey!" Yugi yells and they run to him.

He springs upward, growling loudly. "I DON'T GET THIS!" he yells. "ARE WE INVISIBLE OR NOT?!"

Tristan goes up to the stone gate, placing his hand on it to get a feel for himself. "I hate to say it you guys, but I think it's time for one of our famous plan b's."

Yugi sighs with disappointment, putting his hand on the wall as well. 'I know you're in there pharaoh,' he says in his head. 'And we're gonna figure out a way to reach you.'

Unbeknownst to Yugi, the pharaoh stands on the opposite side of the wall and he gasps lightly, looking in the direction of the stone structure that protects him. 'Is someone calling out to me?' he asks himself.

YGOYGOYGOYGO

Cairo walks through the garden, adjusting her crown on her head before putting her hands behind her back, looking up to the moon. It is eerily silent and the mood is dull as the normally conversing servants work without saying a word, keeping their heads low. With it being toward the end of the day, she wonders why everyone still seems to be in a bad mood.

"Something really awful must have happened," she says to herself with a frown.

Hearing mumbling from around a nearby corner, she quickens up her pace, hiding peeking behind a wall to see two more servants talking amongst themselves.

"It's really unfortunate what happened," a female servant with black hair says, scrubbing the palace grounds on her knees while the other scrubs the walls.

"Indeed. He was a good man," the standing woman stays.

Cairo's eyes widen. Who could they possibly be talking about?

"The queen was practically inconsolable," the kneeling one continues.

"Well she was his apprentice. May Ra bless his soul."

Her heart drops into her stomach, putting two and two together. She leans back on the wall, holding her chest and her breathing becomes heavier. "No…Mahad can't be…" she whispers to herself. Her eyes begin to water and her heart starts to pound. It's no wonder her mother was in the mood she was in earlier. And her father was more quiet than usual. She thinks back to when she was walking down the hall earlier this morning, seeing her father stand outside of her mother's room. Only he was visible, but she could see him placing a hand presumably on Mana's shoulder.

_"__You get some rest," she remembered him saying, coming at the tail end of their conversation. "If you need anything, I'm here." _

Now it all makes sense. He was consoling her over the fact that Mahad had died. Whoever is responsible for his death must be really powerful, she thinks to herself. Could it have possibly been the intruder that made his sudden appearance yesterday? The one with the grayish hair? She thinks back to how the trespasser easily got away from the guards, making his escape and a chill goes down her spine. Would he be targeting anyone else she loves? Her mother? Her father? She can't bear the thought of losing them too.

A sob escapes her lips as the tears begin to fall and she leans her back on the wall, sliding down to the floor with her knees pulled closely to her chest. But soon, her cries stops abruptly when she sees something run past at the corner of her eye. She draws in a breath, looking down the dark hall and sees nothing.

Hearing a shuffling sound, she turns her head in the opposite direction and her eyes widen when she sees the grey haired intruder looking down at her with a grin. Her mouth goes agape, and he places his index finger up to his lips, shushing her before she can manage to let out a scream.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

End of another chapter! Thought I should introduce Yugi and the gang and their appearance into the pharaoh's world. The coming chapters are gonna get interesting. Stay tuned! Make my day and leave a review please! :)


	22. The Pharaoh's Defeat

Walking into one of the sanctuaries that night, Seto meets up with Aknadin who stands on top of a higher platform. The room is surrounded by different tablets of monsters and it is lit with candles surrounding each side.

"Master Aknadin," Seto calls out to the older priest.

"Seto." The priest wielding the Millennium Eye turns to face Seto.

"Our mission was a success. We searched the land for shadow creatures dwelling within our citizens' hearts. And our findings were greater than I ever could have imagined. You should be proud," Seto informs him.

"Well I am not," Aknadin responds rather sharply, taking Seto off guard. "Now release those innocent people immediately!"

"You cannot be serious!"

"Silence! You must do as I say. You are starting to head down a dangerous path Seto. You are a guardian and you must act like one! Free those people for you have disgraced the name of the pharaoh!"

"Never!" Seto shouts back and Aknadin gasps. "I did this to protect him! It is the only way we can defeat Bakura! I do not regret it at all!"

"But Seto—"

"I am sorry. But there is work to be done." And with that he turns away, despite Aknadin's calls for him to return.

"He's making a mistake…" Aknadin goes down to one knee, bowing his head. "I should know…Long ago, I made the same mistake myself." He hears a clanking noise, sensing the presence of another Millennium item and he quickly lifts up his head. "Who's there?!" His eyes widen in horror when he sees Bakura standing at the entrance, snickering.

Cairo runs through the halls in a panic after her run in with the grey haired intruder. Just his purple eyed stare gave her chills and an immense amount of fear that she has never experienced in her life. She thought for sure he was going to kill her. Stumbling over her own feet, she drops to her hands and knees, panting heavily as the blood drips from her forehead and onto the floor.

_A magical blast that she managed to hit him with catches him off guard. Falling back to the ground a few feet away, he looks up at the girl who also seems to be surprised by her own abilities. He grits his teeth, growling at her. Sensing his growing anger, she tries to run, but he grabs her by her long locks of hair and slams her against a nearby wall. _

_He drops her and she lands on the floor, grimacing and holding her face. But he isn't done with her yet. He snatches her up by the arm. "You little brat," he snarls, glaring up to the crown on her head before grinning. "So you're the pharaoh's daughter." _

_Cairo doesn't answer, only shutting her eyes as the red liquid pouring out of her head wound drips between her closed lids._

_"__I would find great pleasure in causing the pharaoh and the queen more pain and anguish by killing you," he starts off and her stomach starts to do flips. Is this really the end for her? "Luckily for you, I have other business to attend to. Where is the old priest, Aknadin?" She doesn't answer and he throws her back to the ground. Using his newly acquired Millennium Ring, he seemingly disappears. _

Cairo reaches the entrance of the sanctuary, holding onto the wall for support. Her vision starts to become blurry, but she can hear the pain filled grunts of Aknadin up ahead.

Bakura firmly presses his foot into Aknadin's chest as the old man lays on the ground writhing and helpless. "We meet again," Bakura says, glaring down at him with his signature grin. "Only this time you didn't bring any of your friends to fight with you by your side. I, on the other hand, did."

In a flash of light, his Diabound appears and this time it appears to be much stronger. Its initial appearance was white and somewhat small compared to the darker figure with muscles that now stands before him.

Laughing, he presses more into Akandin's chest. "You're not as impressive without your younger counterparts to hide behind, are you? I could seize your Millennium Eye in an instant! But I have something more amusing in mind. After all, we still have a score to settle. Perhaps your recall a little incident occurring in a village called Kul Elna? Crushing my people and abandoning your son, Seto," Bakura reveals and Aknadin gasps.

"Release me at once," Aknadin demands in a weak voice.

"From where I'm standing, it looks like you're in no position to be giving orders."

"You won't get away with this…"

"Wrong. I already destroyed one of your comrades and I have the Millennium Ring to prove it!"

Aknadin's eyes go big with realization, seeing the ring hanging around Bakura's neck. "No…so it's true!"

"It's painful isn't it, old man? To lose someone you care about? Well try losing your whole village!"

"Please! If you would just let me explain…!"

Bakura grabs Aknadin by the collar, looking him in the eyes. "You destroyed my homeland…took away my family and left me with nothing! Now it's time to pay the price…by serving me!" Aknadin gasps loudly, beginning to shake within Bakura's grasp as the thief reaches for his Millennium Eye. "I know you have a dark side. I know of your real feelings toward your brother and his son. It just needs to be brought out! And I'm just the man to do it!"

There is a huge flash of light and Cairo shields her eyes, hearing Aknadin cry out. She blindly rushes forward, her body glowing purple and a dark figure appears behind her.

"Sleep well, old man," Bakura says before turning around. Walking down the stairs of the high platform, he is only able to get halfway until he notices the small girl standing there. But something else catches his attention and his eyes slowly scroll up to the tall dark figure standing behind her. It wears dark leather clothing with long, black spiky hair and a magician's hat. It's blue skin looks somewhat ghoulish and its staff is long, being pointed at him.

"Foolish child! Get out of my—" Without a word from her, the magician shoots out a powerful blast and Bakura dives off of the stairs, looking back at the girl with shock when he regains his stance. Just how much is this kid capable of, he says to himself. She holds her head, feeling dizzy and her monster begins to fade, not being able to hold her concentation. Once again, a mischievous grin appears on Bakura's face.

"I could use you," Bakura says, walking up to her.

Yami looks up to the sky and places a hand on his Millennium Puzzle. "My Millennium Puzzle is sensing a dark presence…"

"Pharaoh!" Shimon calls out in a panic.

The pharaoh turns around, hearing the haste in his advisor's voice. "What is it?"

"A village along the Nile was just attacked moments ago!" Shimon informs him.

"What?"

"The Queen has already taken it upon herself to help while we—" An explosion follows soon after and they both looks back to the sanctuaries, seeing smok coming out of one of them. "Look! One of our sanctuaries!"

"But who's?" the pharaoh asks.

Shimon looks closely before realization hits him. "It's Aknadin's!"

Seto, Karim and Shada are the first to make it to the halfway destroyed sanctuary and are horrified to see Aknadin lying on the ground.

"What happened here, master?!" Seto asks, lifting Aknadin into his arms. Blood pours out of the same socket that the Millennium Eye is in and Aknadin grits his teeth.

"Is…Is the princess alright?" Aknadin asks, worrying about the princess's safety before his own.

"What do you mean?" Karim asks. "Was Cairo here as well?"

Seto grits his teeth. Has the princess been kidnapped?

"He…must…be stopped," Aknadin replies weakly.

"Who did this?" Shada asks.

"Pure…evil…" he manages to say before passing out.

"We cannot let that rogue continue to get away with these despicable acts!" Seto exclaims in anger.

Gritting his teeth, the pharaoh and Shimon watch as the smoke billows into the dark sky. "There's only one person capable of doing something as treasonous as this," Shimon says and right on cue, they hear the loud laughter of Bakura. The pharaoh narrows his eyes, running to the edge of the balcony just in time to see Bakura trying to make his escape on a horse he stole from one of the guards. His Diabound floats behind him, blasting anyone that gets in his way. But something else catches his eye and immediately puts him into a panic.

"No…Cairo!" he yells, seeing her slouched across the horse that Bakura is riding on, appearing to be passed out. He whistles, signaling his horse and he jumps off of the balcony, landing on his horse right on time.

"Pharaoh!" Shimon shouts with worry. "He shouldn't go alone…"

Bakura smirks, looking out the corner of his eye to see the pharaoh starting to pursue him on his own horse. "Heh. So the pharaoh has taken my bait."

"Bakura!" the pharaoh yells. "Now you've gone too far!"

He follows Bakura out of the palace walls and he raises his hand, summoning Slifer the Sky Dragon. The large red dragon floats above as onlookers in the village gaze up in a mixture of fear and awe. Nearby, Yugi and the gang, who were previously resting outside, are awoken by the chaos, gasping when they see Bakura on his horse, running by them on his horse.

"It's Bakura!" Tristan yells.

Joey squints his eyes at the girl laying across the horse. "And it looks like he's taken Cairo hostage!"

"Oh no!" Téa exclaims with worry.

"BAKURA!" They hear a familiar voice yell and it is shortly followed by the pharaoh, riding by on his white horse along with Slifer the Sky Dragon.

"It's the pharaoh!" Yugi points out. They run out into the main area of the pathway, watching the intense pursuit. "We gotta help him!"

Seeing the pharaoh is quickly approaching, Bakura looks up at his Diabound and then to the unsuspecting civilians. He orders Diabound to rain down attacks on the onlookers and the pharaoh gasps, quickly commanding his Slider to use its body to protect them. But by doing so, he takes damage to his own body.

The pharaoh grimaces, clenching onto his chest and sweat trickles down his forehead. Bakura is ruthless with his attacks, but he refuses to allow anyone to get hurt. The distance between them gradually opens and he grits his teeth. "Cairo…"

She slightly opens her eyes, seeing the blurred form of her father and Slifer before her vision goes black.

Bakura laughs, seeing the pharaoh trailing off behind and he rides further off into the desert, stopping on a high rocky platform. He hops off his horse, wiping the sweat off his brow with a grin. "He doesn't even know what he's about to walk into, for I have so much more in the works at this very moment."

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Back at the palace, Aknadin stumbles into the pharaoh's tablet sanctuary. He was previously tended to by nurses, but has made his way back out. His eye that contains the Millennium Eye is bandaged, and his usually tamed hair is unraveled, slightly covering his face. Seto and Karim had left shortly after helping Aknadin, trying to track down the pharaoh, while Shada stayed behind to make sure no more harm came to the palace.

He is supposed to be resting. But after Bakura came in contact with his Millennium Eye, all he can hear is the sound of Bakura's voice echoing through his head, bringing back negative memories and emotions of his past.

It was his most proudest and shameful moment in his life. The day that the Millennium Items came to be. It was a desperate moment for the kingdom, having been cornered by oncoming intruders that had wiped out a lot of their army. Pharaoh Aknamkanon had entrusted in his brother Aknadin to create the Millennium Items by using a spell from the Millennium Spellbook. What Aknadin had failed to tell his brother, was that the creation of the items would need souls. It was then that Aknadin ordered his men to kill the thieves residing in Kul Elna, using their blood for the ritual. The ritual was so horrific, that he never told his brother or anyone else about it. He even abandoned his wife and son in fear that his actions would later cause criminals to target them.

As he walks further up the stairs that would lead him to the tablet of the Egyptian gods, he thinks more and more of the son that he abandoned and all the sacrifices he made. The feelings of resentment he felt when his brother was chosen as pharaoh and not him. And how his brother's son is now the king of Egypt, a position he feels that Seto should be in.

If only Seto knew of his royal past. But Seto had no idea, even now. He made his mother promise all those years ago not to tell Seto of his royal roots or that he is his father. Despite not knowing his past, Seto still went from being a peasant to a member of the Sacred Court, signing up and testing on his own will, now serving alongside the current pharaoh. But Aknadin feels so strongly that it is Seto that deserves to be king.

He strongly grips the sword that he carries in his hand as he reaches the top of the platform and he eyes Slifer's stone tablet. The anger and jealously that he has kept inside for so many years is finally seeping out. He cannot contain it any longer.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

In the desert, Bakura laughs once more, knowing that his plan is coming into fruition. "It won't be long now," he says, knowing that he has control over Aknadin's mind, releasing his true inner self.

Cairo stirs out of her slumber and she slowly lifts her head. She first looks at the horse and her surroundings, confused as to where she is. Then upon hearing laughter, her eyes go big with horror when she sees the same gray haired man from before. In a fright, she slides off the horse, stumbling and falling on her rear and Bakura whips around.

"So you're awake, eh?"

Cairo quickly stands up, clenching her fists and shutting her eyes, causing a huge magical force to emit from her body that blows Bakura back a few feet. He shields his face, managing to stand his ground and he chuckles. "You've got a lot of fight in you, child." Walking up to her, he places his hand on her head, kneeling down to her. She tries to put on a brave face, narrowing her eyes at him and gritting her teeth. "But I can tell you're barely hanging on."

He hears a galloping noise and looks at the corner of his eye, seeing the pharaoh approaching. "Perfect timing." Standing to his feet, he faces Cairo and she looks up at him, taking a few steps back until her feet are practically on the edge of the cliff. "If you survive this, I may have more use of you. But for now, you've served your purpose. I'll see you later…or not," Her eyes widen, wondering what he means by that and his Diabound appears behind him, preparing to aim a blast at her.

"BAKURA, DON'T!" the pharaoh yells, his eyes widening in horror.

At a further distance, Yugi and the others witness the events occur in front of them from behind a rock, watching helplessly as Bakura sends its attack at Cairo. "Cairo, no!" Yugi yells.

Cairo barely has time to raise her hands as Diabound shoots its attack at her feet, causing the ground below her to crumble.

"NOOO!" the pharaoh cries out, hearing Cairo's screams echo through the area as she falls down the cliff.

"No…Cairo," Téa says trembling, placing her hand up to her chest as tears threaten to fall.

Tristan slams his fist on the rock. "I don't understand! The Cairo we knew wouldn't go down that easily. There were hardly any limits to her powers. What gives?!"

"This must've happened before she inherited her dark abilities and her immense strength," Yugi assumes, remembering a story that the pharaoh relayed to him in the present world. "But…if that's the case…"

"Then maybe she survived the fall," Joey finishes and Yugi nods.

"I hope you're right," Tristan says.

The pharaoh bows his head, seething with anger as Bakura laughs. "If you couldn't even protect your own daughter, what makes you think you're capable of protecting all of Egypt?" Bakura taunts. "Now Diabound, attack his dragon now!" The dark monster shoots out a blast and the pharaoh quickly looks to his dragon, silently ordering it to counter. The two blasts clash together in the middle of the field, battling for dominance.

"Do it, Slifer! Finish him off!" the pharaoh commands loudly. The dragon's blast slowly starts to overtake Diabound to Bakura's shock and it appears the pharaoh will become victorious.

Until…

Aknadin throws the sword he is holding at the stone tablet of Slifer, having a direct hit. He is soon struck down by lightning after his act of treason and he cries out, falling down to the ground. Hearing his cries, Shada rushes into the shrine, going to his aid. "Master Aknadin! Are you alright?" Shada asks Aknadin grins inwardly.

Feeling the effects of its tablet being struck, Slifer loses strength and Diabound easily overpowers it, completely severing the dragon in half and it explodes shortly after. The pharaoh gasps loudly, holding onto his chest for dear life, feeling his energy fading from such a critical attack. He hunches over on his horse, his vision becoming blurry. "I can't let him win…" He feels his world going dark and passes out, falling off his horse.

But when he manages to open his eyes, he gasps, seeing Yugi and his friends hovering over him. "Yugi, is that you?"

"So you _can_ see me!" Yugi says with relief.

"You alright, pal?" Joey asks.

"Pharaoh?" Téa says with worry.

"You shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous," the pharaoh says while Bakura looks on with rage, wondering how they were able to infiltrate this realm.

"We've come too far to turn back now, pharaoh," Yugi says, grabbing his hand. "You and I are a team, remember?"

The pharaoh looks up at him in surprise. Miraculously, he feels his energy returning. But how? 'This is incredible,' he thinks to himself. 'I almost forgot how strong my bond with Yugi truly is.' He narrows his eyes with determination, giving Yugi's hand a squeeze before springing up and back on his horse.

"Impossible!" Bakura yells.

"Bakura! Your reign of terror ends here and now!" He raises his diadhank into the air, beginning to summon another god. "Come forth, Winged Dragon of Ra!" The golden dragon appears out of the sky, its red glowing eyes glaring down at Diabound as it prepares to attack.

'But how?!' Bakura asks himself, looking over to Yugi and gasping in realization. 'Did reuniting with his former host somehow restore the pharaoh's life force?'

The Winged Dragon of Ra shoots a powerful attack, engulfing Diabound in flames and Bakura can feel those same flames burning through his body. His horse raises up on its hind legs, causing Bakura to fall to the ground unconcious and seemingly justice has been served. Viewing the downfall of Diabound in the distance, the villagers rejoice, hailing the pharaoh and praising him for his victory over the dark being. Diabound then lands on the ground motionless next to Bakura.

"He did it!" Téa exclaims. "He won!"

The pharaoh sighs in relief, watching as the Winged Dragon of Ra disappears from the sky. But he cannot find it within himself to celebrate. Not without knowing what he's lost. Had Cairo really perished?

"Wait Téa..." Tristan says and she looks at him before realization finally sets in.

Yugi lowers his eyes. "Cairo…"

Joey stands in the background, bowing his head momentarily until he hears a light grunting noise. He looks over to the edge that Cairo has previously fallen off of and he suddenly rushes over. Tristan looks over at his friend questionably.

"Hey man, now's not the time to take an evening jog," Tristan says.

Joey reaches the spot and peers over the edge, his eyes going big with shock. A few inches down, Cairo hangs for dear life off the edge of a rock. "Cairo!"

The pharaoh quickly lifts his head at the sound of her name. "What?"

"Tristan, get over here quick!"

Tristan dashes over, looking down and having the same reaction that Joey has just had. "Hang in there, Cairo! We got you!" Joey reaches down, grabbing onto her wrist and starts to bring her up. When he lifts her at a good distance, Tristan grabs her other wrist, helping her up to safety and placing her down on the ground.

"She's alive!" Yugi yells with relief as the pharaoh races over to her, lifting her up in his arms.

"Cairo! Are you alright?" Dried blood covers half of her face as well as multiple wounds all over her body. She looks up at him, then over to the four individuals standing nearby. Her body becomes tense and she huddles closer to her father. "It's alright," he assures her. "They are my friends."

"Friends?" she repeats in a light tone.

"I knew you were tough and couldn't go down so easily!" Joey exclaims, raising his fist with a grin. "Even without your shadow powers, you—"

Téa quickly whacks him on the head. "She doesn't know about that yet…" she mutters and Cairo looks at them with a confused expression before looking back at her father.

"Is it really over?" she asks him and he nods his head with a warm smile.

"Yes Cairo. Egypt is now safe." He then looks to Yugi and the others. "None of it would have been possible without you."

"Aw come on. You're the one that did all the work!" Yugi points out, rubbing the back of his head.

"But you gave me the strength I needed to fight. So thank you."

"Like I said, we're a team!"

On the ground where Bakura lies, he hears the laughter and chatter coming from the pharaoh and his friends. His eyes are in a daze and his body feels weak, but he refuses to lose this way. "It wasn't supposed to end like this…In fact, I won't let it…" Tilting his head in the direction of the pharaoh, he notices that his god is gone, leaving him wide open.

The pharaoh looks down at Cairo, seeing that she has taken on quite a bit of damage, though she appears to still be in good spirits. "Let's get you back to the palace and—"

Suddenly, there is a huge gust of wind and everyone shields their faces, trying to hold their ground. Yugi and the others get pushed back a further distance while the pharaoh wraps his arms around Cairo protectively. He manages to squint through the fierce winds and notices Diabound starting to rise again in the air.

"No…I defeated him…" the pharaoh says in disbelief. "But how…?!"

Bakura snickers weakly. "You've forgotten who you're dealing with…and you've let your guard down. Diabound, attack now!" Bakura's monster shoots an incredible blast toward the pharaoh and Cairo while the others look on in shock.

"Pharaoh, no!" Yugi yells!

The pharaoh quickly gets up, attempting to dodge the attack while holding onto Cairo and it hits right at his feet, causing the ground beneath them to crumble. In a last minute attempt to save his daughter, he grabs Cairo by the back of her blouse, using one arm to fling her up to safety while managing to grab onto the opposite ledge where Bakura is now standing.

"Dad!" Cairo yells, kneeling on the edge across from Bakura as Yugi and the others join her side.

"Hang on pharaoh!" Yugi exclaims.

The pharaoh grimaces, using all the strength he has to hold on. He looks up, gazing into the dark eyes of Bakura who grins down at him. "What do you want…?" the pharaoh asks between clenched teeth.

Bakura kneels down, taking the puzzle from around the pharaoh's neck. "I want what's rightfully mine. Your puzzle." He laughs and all the pharaoh can do is watch helplessly as Bakura hangs the puzzle around his neck. "Don't worry. Where you're going you'll have no use for it." He slams his foot down on the rocky edge that the pharaoh is holding onto, causing it to crumble and the pharaoh's eyes widen in horror, feeling his body going into a free fall.

"NO!" the pharaoh yells, his arm outstretched as he falls.

"PHARAOH!" They all cry out, watching him plummet to the darkness below.

"DAD!" Cairo screams at the top of her lungs while tears fall from her eyes, hearing the echoed cries of her father until there is nothing but silence.

Bakura walks away with Diabound following behind, finally victorious in gaining the Millennium Puzzle. "Enjoy the shadows," he snickers.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Another end to an action packed chapter. Hope you enjoyed! Leave a review! And thanks to those who are favoriting and following the story! :)


	23. The Calm in his Storm

Cairo sits on her hands and knees, gazing down the dark chasm, desperately searching for any signs of her father. Between the infinite amount of darkness and the tears pouring out of her eyes, she is unable to see anything. Seeing Cairo distraught, Téa kneels down beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It's going to be alright," Téa says as the girl sniffles.

Joey growls, his fists beginning to shake at his sides, watching as Bakura walks off. "That monster! You won't get away with this!" As Bakura goes out of a sight, dark hooded figures with glowing red eyes begin to approach them and Joey grits his teeth nervously.

"Oh great! Now you've done it!" Tristan says.

"It's not safe here," Cairo says, slowly lifting her eyes and getting up to her feet. "Follow me." She runs off in the opposite direction with Yugi and the others following her until they reach a safe spot, hiding underneath a little nook within the gorge as the henchman ride past without seeing them.

"I think the coast is clear and we're all good," Yugi says, not hearing the galloping noises from the henchmens' horses anymore.

"All except one," Tristan points out.

"Tristan's right! We gotta find the pharaoh!" Joey says with determination.

"But what if…" Tristan starts off, not knowing how anyone could survive a fall like that. Téa elbows him, motioning over to Cairo who stares off into the distance.

Hearing footsteps coming toward her, she looks over to see the boy that resembles her father coming to her. "Don't worry. I know the pharaoh is going to be okay and we'll find him," he says, remaining optimistic. She studies him for a bit before looking over to the others. Her father considered them to be his friends, but she has never seen them before in her life.

"Tell me…back at the marketplace…you knew my name before I ever said anything," she starts off. "It's as if you all already knew who I was…but how is that possible?"

"Uh..." Yugi hesitates rubbing the back of his head.

"Eh…well we _are_ friends of your father and he's told us so much about ya!" Joey cuts in, grinning from ear to ear. Cairo tilts her head to the side questionably and then smiles.

"Well, I guess it all doesn't matter. If you're friends of my father's, then that makes you good in my book," Cairo says.

"How are we even gonna find him?" Téa asks.

"Well we made it this far," Yugi says. "We'll find a way. We always do."

"Word will spread quickly of my father's disappearance and the palace will conduct a search. But I don't feel like waiting," Cairo says.

"I'm with ya, Cairo!" Joey agrees. "So what's the plan?"

"We find my mother..."

Tristan's eyes go wide. "Cairo has a mother?" he asks and Téa slaps her forehead.

"Of course she does Tristan. How else would Cairo exist?" Téa points out and Tristan blushes with embarrassment.

"…She'll be able to help," Cairo continues. "Being a sorcerer myself, I can only sense the presence of other sorcerers such as my mom. But my mom's abilities go beyond mine and she should be able to locate my father easily."

"Aw yeah! Then what are we waiting for?" Joey exclaims, feeling pumped up. "Let's go!"

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Battered, bloodied and bruised, the pharaoh rests in a cave that sits right off the Nile River. After landing in a strong current, he managed to swim to safety, losing his cape in the process. He dragged himself out of the water, ending up in the cave that he is currently in. With his eyes shut, he grimaces from the pain, thinking back on the events that have just occurred.

'My Millennium Puzzle…it's…gone…It's in…Bakura's hands now,' he thinks to himself. Remembering his first run in with Bakura at the palace, he recalls how Bakura accused his father of destroying his village when the Millennium Items were created in an attempt to further his own power. Bakura even went further on to saying that the Millennium Items weren't created to restore peace and harmony, but instead it was a way for his father to gain more power.

Doubt soon overcomes him. 'Could his words be true? Did my father really bring harm to innocent people in order to create the seven Millennium Items? Or did he rule justly and restore peace to Egypt?'

He thinks back to a conversation that he and Cairo had in the present world.

_"__There was an attack that was ordered…to a place called Kul Elna…Your father took the fall for it…Many souls were lost that day…They seek revenge on you," _he recalls her saying, only remembering bits and parts of the conversation due to his current state.

'I wish I knew more about my father,' he thinks to himself, sighing heavily. And just as that thought comes to mind, visions of his past begin to appear, starting from when he was a baby, being presented to all of Egypt for the first time by his father. Another vision pops up when he was but a toddler. His father was teaching him how to walk while instilling values even then.

And lastly, a vision appears, showing him as a kid.

_He followed his father to an ancient sanctuary of the Egyptian gods. It was a dark room with a platform surrounded by candles. His father collapsed to his knees with tears in his eyes as he begged for forgiveness of the events that happened in Kul Elna._

_"__Egyptian gods, hear me. I have committed a crime beyond atonement and for this I am truly sorry. By bringing the seven Millennium Items into this world, I have destroyed the lives of thousands. I bear full responsibility for these actions. Please spare my son," Pharaoh Aknamkanon pleaded while his son stood behind him, puzzled by his father's actions. "Do not punish him for the misdeeds of his father." _

_"__Father? What's wrong?" the prince asked before gasping as lightning struck in multiple areas of the sanctuary. Feeling frightened, he took a step back. Tears began to form in his eyes until he heard the calm voice of his father._

_"__My son…fear not. You are safe now." _

'Yes…I remember now…' the pharaoh recalls from seeing the visions in his head. 'My father surrendered his own safety…to ensure mine.'

He finally opens his eyes, only to be met with a bright light and a figure standing in front of him. He blinks a few times, trying to get a better look at the mystery person who wears a golden mask. "Who's…there?"

"I am he who is known as Hasan," a deep voice emits from the masked person. "I have come to warn you of an impending danger, pharaoh. Zorc the Dark One is soon to awaken."

"Who is Zorc?"

"The embodiment of pure darkness."

The pharaoh lets out a gasp. "Please, tell me what I can do to stop him!" he pleads, leaning forward. But as his vision becomes clear, the mysterious figure he was talking to is now gone.

_"__When the time is right, you will know," Hasan's voice echoes._

The pharaoh holds on to the nearby rocky wall to help him get on his feet, and he limps to the outside of the cave to be greeted by the sunlight and fresh air. He knows he has to warn the others of what was just relayed to him, but currently he has no sense of where he is after the fall. He looks out into the Nile that glimmers and sparkles underneath the bright sun.

He then looks over to a nearby father and son duo that floats on the river in a wooden boat, fishing together and reeling up a nice batch of fish. The father congratulates his son on a nice catch as the boy cheers happily.

'I shall protect all that my father struggled to build,' the pharaoh says in his mind, watching the scene unfold in front of him.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Mana sits crossed legged at the edge of the river with her arms crossed over chest. She holds her blue and pink wand in her right hand and her body begins to glow pink. After dealing with the situation at the Nile River, she decided to get some training in to keep her mind off things. It is hard to think that Mahad isn't around anymore. Everything she knows was learned from him and now she is on her own.

As much as she wants to crumble under the weight of her emotions, she knows she can't. Mahad wouldn't want her to give up. He would want her to continue with her trainings. Not to mention she is the queen of Egypt. She has no choice but to stay strong.

"Can she see us?" a nearby voice asks.

"Well she has her eyes closed, Joey," Téa points out as they hover around the brown haired woman.

Mana quickly opens her eyes, revealing her glowing pink orbs and causing Tristan and Joey to jump up, feeling startled. She looks down at the reflection of four individuals and gasps, seeing one with tri-colored hair resembling her husband's. She springs to her feet, quickly turning around and looking down at him with confusion. Blinking, her eyes return back to normal and she grabs Yugi's hands.

"What happened to you? You've shrunk! And you're wearing weird clothing!" Mana comments before her eyes scroll to the other three people standing behind him. "As a matter of fact, you all are."

"I like this outfit," Téa protests, putting a hand on her hip.

Cairo comes from behind them, rubbing her head nervously. "Uh…hi mom!"

Seeing her bloodied face and wounds, Mana quickly kneels down to her daughter, observing her injuries with a concerned expression. "Cairo! Are you alright?! What happened?! Who are these people?"

"It's okay, mom," Cairo tells her. "They're dad's friends."

"Friends?" Mana repeats, growing even more confused.

"It's kind of a long story," Yugi replies. "But we really need your help. You see, there was a battle between the pharaoh and Bakura and now the pharaoh is missing. We think he may seriously be hurt."

"What?"

"It's true mom!" Cairo exclaims. "We have to find him!"

"Okay, we will Cairo, I promise," Mana assures her, hovering her hand over her daughter. "Let's get you cleaned up." Mana closes her eyes, chanting a spell in her head and as seconds go by, Cairo's wounds begin to heal while the others look in fascination. Then Mana stands to her feet, looking out into the Nile with a serious expression. Her eyes glow pink as she scans the entire area for any signs of her husband, blocking out any outside distractions until she lands on a familiar presence.

Turning back around to face the others, she smiles. "He's actually very close by," she tells them to their relief. "But his energy is faint. We need to get to him immediately. And I'm also sensing dark energy approaching as well. We should be careful."

"Could it be those hooded guys that were after us earlier?" Téa asks with worry.

Joey shudders. "Man, I hope not."

"Come on. This way," Mana says and they follow her lead.

"Oh yeah! We never got your name!" Téa points out with a smile.

Mana smiles back, walking alongside her. "My name is Mana."

"Well I'm Téa, and this is Yugi, Joey and Tristan," Téa introduces.

"It's so strange that I've never met you guys before," Mana says, looking up in thought.

"We're sorta kinda visiting," Tristan fibs, not really wanting to get into specifics of how they really got there.

"I see." Mana shrugs her shoulders. "Well if you're friends of the pharaoh, then you're my friends too!"

"So Mana, are you a magician too?" Yugi asks and she nods. "You know, back where I'm from, there is a game called Duel Monsters. I know you've never heard of it, but there's a character in the game that looks just like you."

"You don't say?"

"Hey, if you're Cairo's mother, does that mean you're the queen?" Tristan butts in and Téa groans loudly, embarrassed by her friend coming to the most obvious conclusions.

Mana chuckles. "Yeah, that's right. But you don't need to call me queen or anything. Mana will do just nicely."

"What's life like in the palace?" Joey asks and Téa groans even louder.

"Do you get an endless amount of food?" Tristan asks, smacking his lips.

"I'm sorry for their endless questions," Téa apologizes on their behalf and the two boys look at her with an eyebrow raised. "Those two really don't have an off button."

"It's okay, I don't mind at all!" She watches as Cairo runs forward, chasing after a tiny mouse that she found along the way. "Don't go off too far, Cairo."

"I won't!" Cairo replies, her eyes fixated on the tiny grey mouse that scurries away. "You're a fast little critter, aren't ya?"

Mana giggles at the young child and her fascination with the mouse. It reminds her so much of herself when she was her age. And even the pharaoh, or prince, before he was forced to take on huge responsibilities.

Téa smiles, seeing a side of Cairo that she is actually quite familiar with. She thinks back to when Cairo saved a cat that was being abused and took it in, caring for it. Though the Cairo she came to know was usually serious and barely showed her youthful side, one thing remains the same. She is caring, thoughtful and strong. "She's such a good kid," Téa comments, looking over to Mana. "When we got here, we found her saving a villager from harm."

"That sounds like something she would do. She's just like her father. Always rushing in to help," Mana says with a smirk.

"How did the two of you meet, Mana?" Yugi asks.

"Well unlike him, I wasn't born in the palace. I was taken in after tragedy struck my family."

Téa frowns. "I'm sorry."

Mana shakes her head, smiling. "From day one, he never made me feel like I was any less. He made me feel welcomed. We would both have our studies and when we'd get tired or bored from our responsibilities, we'd sneak off and come here to the river to let loose and talk," she reminisces, looking out into the water. "When his father suddenly passed, he was pretty much thrown into the pharaoh role. It was a lot to deal with, but I always remained that listening ear whenever things would get tough and even then, we would still sneak out of the palace when we could to get away from it all." She looks up to the sky, putting her hands behind her head. "Eventually we got married which was initially frowned upon since I'm not royal…but he didn't care. Nor did he care that I wanted to continue my dreams of becoming an elite spell caster while being the queen. But that's just him. He's always accepted me for who I am and let me be me."

Hearing sniffles, Mana and Téa turn their heads to see Tristan and Joey fighting to hold back the tears. "Oh geez," Mana chuckles, rubbing the back of her head. "I didn't mean to get all sappy on you guys, I'm sorry."

"That's so beautiful," Joey sobs, rubbing his eyes with the back of his arm.

"Uh…thanks?" Mana says blinking and Téa rolls her eyes with a smile.

Cairo stops just short of a hill that drops off and her eyes widen when she sees a familiar figure limping and holding onto his arm as he walks alongside Nile in their direction. But he seems to be oblivious to their presence. A wide smile appears on her lips and she is filled with happiness. "Dad!" she yells, bringing the other's attention to her direction.

The pharaoh lifts his eyes in the direction of the voice and sees Cairo waving to him as Yugi and the others join her side.

"It's the pharaoh!" Yugi exclaims happily.

"Long time no see man!" Joey says with a smirk.

"Hey pharaoh!" Téa wipes tears from her eyes, relieved to see him standing after the bad fall he took. The pharaoh only smiles back and Cairo is the first to run down the hill, followed by the rest of the group who cheer and celebrate upon finding him safely. Mana stands in the back of the delighted group of friends, looking on and beaming from ear to ear as they talk excitedly to the pharaoh. Since they are visiting, she decides to give them this time to get reacquainted with each other.

"I knew you'd be alright," Tristan says with confidence.

"Sure you did," Téa says sarcastically, side eyeing him.

"We were so worried about you!" Cairo says, a huge look of concern on her face and he places a hand on the top of her head with a reassuring smile.

"It's alright. I'm here now," he says. "How did you find me?"

"Mana helped us," Yugi reveals to the pharaoh's surprise and he looks over at her. Feeling eyes on her, she looks back at him and smiles and he returns the same look. But that expression quickly changes when they hear a neighing noise from a distance. Everyone's attention goes to the group of hooded men coming their way.

"Oh great," Téa says, backing up a little and clenching her fists at her chest with fear.

"Aw man, those creeps found us!" Tristan yells.

Without another thought, the pharaoh stands protectively in front of everyone. Mana looks at him questionably. He can't seriously think he can take them on in his current condition. She observes his injuries and his weakened stance and shakes her head. There's no way she's going to allow him to do this.

The pharaoh narrows his eyes at the oncoming henchmen, thinking of his options. He cannot allow any harm to fall on his family and friends. As he goes over in his mind as to what to do, his eyes widen when he sees Mana out of the corner of his eye, walking past him. Just as she walks right by him, he quickly grabs her wrist and she turns her head to him.

"Mana, what are you—"

"If you think I'm gonna let you face off against them, then you're sadly mistaken," she says.

"It's too dangerous!"

Ignoring him, she looks to Yugi and the others, simultaneously making her wand appear in her hand and releasing herself from his grip. She knows how stubborn he can be, even in his condition. "Get to a safe distance and do not let him interfere," she says in the most authoritative voice that the pharaoh and the others have ever heard her speak in. "That is an order."

"Yes, your highness," Joey says, stiffening up and standing at salute.

"You heard the boss lady! Let's go!" Tristan says. He and Joey stand on opposite sides of the pharaoh as they help lead him away with Cairo, Yugi and Téa following behind.

Mana twirls her wand a few times before resting it on her shoulder. She channels all of the strength that she has, thinking of how her master would walk into this situation. A pink aura appears around her and her eyes begin to glow the same color as she calmly walks toward the the group of 8, showing no fear at all. Time to put everything she learned from Mahad to good use.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Téa asks while they stand off to the side. Yugi looks over to the pharaoh who looks on with concern. He can tell that the pharaoh is using everything within himself to not step in.

"Of course she's gonna be okay," Joey says with confidence, looking forward. "I have a feeling Mana can pack quite the punch too."

One by one, each horseman tries to land an attack on Mana with their swords and she dodges with ease, using a combination of back flips, jumps and ducking. Her movements are fast, yet hold a huge amount of grace as she dodges with ease. It is at this moment that the horsemen start to grow agitated and they charging toward her all at once. But to everyone's surprise, Mana doesn't move, only closing her eyes as they get closer and closer.

The group of friends all let out collective gasps when they see each sword swipe down on Mana, going right through her.

"Aw no!" Tristan yells.

Initially, panic sets in for the pharaoh, seemingly watching her defeat right in front of his eyes. But then he looks over to Cairo who is surprisingly calm and her eyes are lifted toward the sky. He follows her gaze and gasps, seeing Mana float in the air with her wand pointed at the group of men. He then looks back to the ground where the Mana he thought got attacked, has now disappeared.

"It was an illusion," he realizes.

Her calm expression soon goes into a grin as a large pink blast emits from her wand, crashing down on the men and an explosion soon follows. Everyone shields their faces from the gust of wind that comes right after and once the smoke clears, the henchmen are no more. Landing lightly on her feet, she walks over to the pharaoh and the others, unfazed by her battle.

"Whoa…She barely broke a sweat," Joey remarks, his eyes wide.

"Guess it runs in the family," Tristan adds.

"Uh huh," Téa says with a nod, looking equally as shocked as the other two.

Cairo clenches her fists with excitement, jumping up into the air. "That was so awesome! Wow! You're amazing mom!" She has always admired her mother and her strength, striving to become just as strong as her one day. Seeing her mother in action is always exhilarating to her and she isn't surprised by her display of power at all, having witnessed it many times. But that doesn't mean it ever gets old for her to watch.

The serious gaze that was once on Mana's face is replaced by her happy, carefree personality once more as she finally reaches the group. Seeing the astonished and somewhat startled faces of the pharaoh and his friends from her sudden change in demeanor, she tilts her head.

"Uh…why are you guys looking at me like that? Did something happen while I was fighting?" she asks.

"Remind me never to make you mad," Joey comments.

Mana giggles. "You're funny!" She places a hand on his shoulder, causing Joey to jump and the others laugh.

The pharaoh watches her interact with the others, his shocked facial expression soon disappearing and turning into realization. His eyes go from her to Cairo who stands beside her, grinning from ear to ear. 'I guess I shouldn't be surprised at all.' He is brought out of his thoughts, not noticing Mana is standing directly in front of him until she is inches away from his face. Tristan and Joey begin to play tag with Cairo while Téa and Yugi look on with a smile.

"You're in pretty bad shape," Mana says to him, gently cupping his cheek and examining him.

"I'll be fine," he assures her and she shakes her head with a smirk on her lips.

"Your stubbornness never ceases to amaze me." Blinking and revealing her glowing pink eyes, his body begins to glow the same exact color and he gasps lightly, feeling his strength returning and wounds disappearing. "You're not alone," she reminds him, continuing to heal his injuries until they're completely gone. Her eyes return back to normal and now she stares deeply into his amethyst ones. "I know you're the pharaoh and all, but that doesn't mean you have to do everything yourself."

"Mana…" She has a point. A huge point. But he can't seem to get rid of those feelings of having to do everything himself. There is so much on the line and they already lost Mahad. He doesn't want to see anyone else get hurt or lose anyone else. He breathes out a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Sensing his wariness and stress, Mana presses her forehead to his, closing her eyes and smiling. Initially confused by her actions, he suddenly starts to feel calmer. 'Is this some sort of spell?' he asks himself. It doesn't appear she's doing anything fancy, but just her mere presence seems to be draining whatever stress and apprehension he has. And this isn't the first time she's done this, thinking back to when she did the same simple gesture when he first met her in this world of his memories.

_"__Back then you always used to tell me that she was the calm in your storm. Mom just has this…power…just her presence alone can brighten anyone's day."_ Cairo's words echo through his head, remembering yet another conversation he had with the girl in the present world.

Now he understands what Cairo had been doing that whole time when she was in the present world. She was dropping hints and tidbits that would help him navigate through this world. It's all slowly starting to makes sense to him. As unfortunate as the events were leading up to Cairo going to the present world and then leaving to go back to the shadows, he knows that fate brought them back together for a reason. It was more than just fighting off evil souls. But to help him along his journey. Even now.

He glances over at the girl who laughs loudly after being caught by Joey, playing without a care in the world. A smile creeps on his lips before he closes his eyes with his head still pressed against Mana's, allowing himself to be in the moment.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Figured after such an intense last two chapters, to end this chapter on a sweet note. There's more to come! Please review :)


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